Perhaps rosé was too aristocratic for the brash new world.
Favored for centuries in the fine villas of Provence and Languedoc, celebrated in the gaiety on yachts along the cote d’azur, the blush wine may have anticipated a more receptive welcome on these shores.
But rosé was subjected to a series of humiliating indignities. It was derided for its gentle pallor. It was dismissed as a novice wine. And — much worse — it was bullied by both winemakers and drinkers alike.
Yes, they belted it with sugars until it developed cloying welts. Sometimes they would display the devastated wine in plebeian jugs. And they taunted it with a cruel nickname, calling it “White Zinfandel.”
Unfortunately, the name stuck.
That White Zinfandel became so pervasive was no accident. Marketed by Sutter Home Winery in the mid-1970s and after, the sappy and inexpensive rose-tinted wine found a niche in young, entry level drinkers.
Soon people who cared little for the savor of fine wines were flaunting White Zin. Aficionados, as a result, begin to scoff at all rosé.
“They were ridiculed for a long time,” observed Dustin Fults, winemaker for Fults Family Vineyards.
Yet all along that trace of refinement remained. A few stubborn winemakers ignored the both the down market taste for syrupy wine and the damage it had done to demand for the style among the general public. They began introducing dry, European-style rosés.
You see, rosé is a result of considerable thought. The versatile wine can be structured in the vineyard, defined by maceration or boosted through the Saignée method — a process of bleeding off some fresh juice intended for red wine, which results not only in crisp pink wines, but also in more intense reds.
Red wine derives its color from the skins. By pulling the juice quickly, winemakers are able to create shades of varying depths. Some rosés are almost crystalline. Others tremble on the line between drab pink and light red.
Winemakers may settle it in stainless, wood or concrete. Although French tradition calls for particular varietals, rosé can be produced from any red grape.
“I’ve had rosé from just about every varietal and they all seem to work,” said Luke Bass, who has been part of the Boatique team.
“Well, maybe not petit verdot,” he added, hedging a bit.
The dry rosés are considered refreshing. Yet they also offer the contemplative intricacy of fine wines.
So where 20 years ago few of-age drinkers would dare to uncork even a dry rosé in public, now the U.S. ranks as the third largest producer of the wine in the world. Consumption has been on the climb for ten years. And the market is beginning to turn in favor of the more genteel style.
In 2014, sales of sweet blush wines including White Zinfandel plummeted 10.5 percent over the previous year. At the same time, demand for dry rosé wines jumped 5.1 percent.
“People have figured out how great they are,” said Joy Merrilees of Shannon Ridge. “They are just as refreshing as sauvignon blanc and chardonnay.”
Almost every winery in Lake County now offers a striking example of dry rosé. And the winemakers employ different varietals, ranging from hearty cabernet sauvignon to grenache, malbec, tempranillo — even zinfandel.
Here is a mere sampling of Lake County rosés:
BOATIQUE
The 2016 rosé of malbec from Boatique welcomes you with aromas of melon sparked with a dusting of white pepper and nutmeg. This prowls under a rich pulp of fresh peach and whole apples, with hints of blackberry drifting overhead.
It is a lean and cambered wine. On the palate it traces through sheer slices of melon and peach, feathery apple peel and dabs of juice from ripe blackberries. The trill of fruit begins to gain in strength, showing cut apple, citrus zest and newly picked berries, with a balance of earthy spice coating a surprisingly long finish.
“I like it fresh and bright,” Bass observed. “Picking early with the intention of making rosé makes a difference.”
CACHE CREEK
The Cache Creek 2015 rosé of cabernet sauvignon recommends itself on the nose with soft red cherry notes and a curiously compelling hint of hard watermelon candy. Under the delicate fruit and candy sensation rests impressions of earth and spice that emerge as toasted rose petals and freshly ground white pepper.
While many rosés revel in a brisk, bright character, the Cache Creek wine descends toward a more gutteral nature — deep, rich, concentrated fruits, again resembling hard candy without the sweetness. The finish is long, draping black cherry and dark cocoa powder over the palate.
Yet it is not a heavy wine. Though suggestions of big, brooding cabernet occur, the Cache Creek rosé retains its upbeat stride.
FULTS FAMILY VINEYARDS
Dustin Fults refers to his 2015 Fults Family Two Girls rosé as a “patio pounder.” The pink wine style is, after all, perfect for quenching summer heat and his wine wraps quickly, leaving refreshing memories of strawberry on the palate.
The wine is a blend of pinot noir and pinot gris, dressed with a little reisling. Although purists avoid cutting red with white to produce a pink hue, small amounts of white wine to nudge hidden flavors are acceptible — particularly when strawberries, stone fruits and tropical lychee arrive on the nose.
A sip brings a blush of berries, followed by warmer notes of melon and toasted spice. The combination conjures images of winter holidays and slices of fruit-studded breads. Yet it is very much a wine for a scorching summer afternoon.
LANGTRY ESTATE
The 2016 rosé from Langtry is all petite sirah. You might believe, however, that you wandered into a bakery rather than the winery’s well appointed tasting room.
Aromas of cooling peach pie and dried cranberries swirl from the glass. Hints of fresh apricot drift across, as well — a genial, familiar and almost nostalgic impression, furthered by a distant recollection of salted candy.
The stone fruits embrace your palate, as well. A splash of watermelon brightens the wine and it thins quickly and cleanly on the finish. The result is brisk, yet with a balance of tropical heft. A raspy herbal hint helps define the wine as it evolves with each sip.
LAUJOR ESTATE
Cheryl Lucido’s previous rosé was the remarkable and enigmatic Rosé of Mistaken Identity. This time around she followed a more familiar route, using cabernet franc.
But the result is no less remarkable. On the nose it greets you with fresh peaches still swaying on the limb, cut melons and breezy white flowers — a blissful welcome warned only by a waft of dark caramel.
Dry cured fruit blankets the palate with each sip, sharpened by a rubbed spice. Peach and faint tropical fruits lilt over the earthy foundation, with citrus zest shearing the edges. It’s a wine notable for its dry character and deft balance.
ROSA D’ORO
Naturally Nick Buttitta would turn to Italian varietals. His 2015 Rosato is a blend of docetto, primitivo and grenache.
Yeah, grenache. He couldn’t help caving to other traditions. Why not, when it helps coax brooding intensity from a pink wine.
The bouquet resonates with chocolate dipped fruit — plums and some melon — that soften as the glass sits. Of course, patience is a difficult practice with a rosé so dense in savor.
Bold fruits bound from the glass, eluding definition as they plummet and wrap into earthier notes of fig and chocolate. The landing is softened, however, as juicy, ripe stone fruits lift from the bottom, followed by a summer blossom of lavender, tugged a bit by nutmeg.
SHED HORN CELLARS
Yes, winemaker Michael Wood adds zinfandel — the regular red grapes — to his 2016 Shed Horn Non Typical rosé. But the heart of this wine is grenache.
Maybe it is the dab of zin. Maybe it’s the winemaker’s touch. With each breathe, with each sip, you pick up on some overlooked nuance, some fluttering note.
On the nose this starts with watermelon, rind and all. A whisper of dry leaves, finds form and then vanishes over grounded pomace and cherry stems tossed with curled lemon zest. A sip brings hard watermelon candy — unsweetened, of course — and cherry skin, followed by a rich notion of cured cherry and stone fruits.
Dry leaves make another brief appearance before the wine wraps up. The result is amazing — a svelte rosé that carries a lot of weight.
SIX SIGMA RANCH AND WINERY
The Six Sigma 2016 rosé of tempranillo relies on one of the winery’s consistant award winning varietals. It opens with aromas of peach and apricot resting in cream and set on a table with a bowl of red apples serving as a centerpiece.
Perhaps the setting is an orchard or patio ringed by meadow flowers for it is a blossoming, floral wine. Yet on the palate hints of caramel lend depth to the peach and apple — a comforting note that develops into a fruit creme brulee vefore the finish.
A prick of spice snaps the wine at the end — a wonderful touch.
Yes, there are more rosés to sample around Lake County. Brassfield and Wildhurst just released new vintages. Chacewater and Jelly Jar are known for their offering. Gregory Graham produces a beautiful — and portable — rosé in a bag.
And although rosé is intended to be enjoyed young, Olof Cellars still has a 2010 Rosato di Barbera on hand that is akin to basking in a loamy field of ripening raspberries on a perfect summer morning.
How could one go wrong?
It took a little battering and a few decades, but real rosé is back.
