Cache Creek Vineyards threw a party for their 2014 Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Well, actually they featured it as part of the rolling festival that is the Lake County Wine Adventure back in May. Either way, Don Van Pelt and consulting winemaker Derek Holstein knew this cheerful wine suited the celebration.
Of course, people associate Rose with sunshine, patios and casual gatherings — or worse. The so-called White Zinfandel caused many an American wine aficionado to back away from Rose. Too many labels still produce artless, cloying versions, fit only for blithe novices or carefree affairs.
But the style is much richer, its tradition honed in Bordeaux from elegant varietals such as Grenache and Pinot Noir.
Like these more formidable Roses, the 2014 Cache Creek Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon expresses the grape, the terroir and the hand of the winemaker. On the nose keen notes of pomegranate and ripe berries swirl around softer impressions of straw, dried flowers and hard candy — a dulcet breath that only prepares you in part for what follows.
The brooding, dark fruits envelop your palate first, eased away by a brighter raspberry sensation. Then an intricate pattern emerges, woven with hints of black pepper, sliced vegetables and more fruit — a welcome savory character that perhaps developed from an extended time on the skin during maceration. More likely they blended in more juice during fermentation.
That’s a guess. Van Pelt did not return a call for him to spill such secrets.
A balanced and well crafted acidity bites into the finish, leaving you with a cleansing snap of citrus mellowed by floral, grassy notes.
The Rose is crisp and dry, certainly. But it is a reflection of the fruit involved, flexing some of the Cabernet muscle as it runs on its celebratory spree.
No wonder the winery welcomed it with a blowout.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
