Anytime Is A Good Time For A Good Rosé Wine But They Take On A Special Appeal In Summer

Duty-bound to do an annual wine article about rosé wines at the beginning of summer, all wine writers, including myself, approach the job with mixed feelings: First, because rosés are perfectly delightful year round and go better with some foods than many whites or reds do. Second, the rosé market has expanded so rapidly that there is far more choice but also far more poor quality to choose from—not to mention the truly awful treacly sweet versions that have always been around.

I remain something of a traditionalist when it comes to rosés, meaning I am most fond of those made in Provence and the south of France, where they are produced by crushing red grapes and then allowing the juice to remain on the skins for 24 to 48 hours. The longer the skin contact the deeper hued the wine will be. Grenache is the predominate grape used in Provence, while those of Listrac in the Haut-Medoc are also well regarded. Often very dry, Southern French wines have the distinct aroma of rose flowers.

Other, usually lesser rosés, are made by pressing together white and red grapes together, which results in wines difficult to describe as being consistent. Too often modern rosé tastes watery or like fairly bland white wines; others sell well on the basis of their lovely colorations.

SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE ROSE DEL VALLE DE UCO 2022 ($29). Balbo is one of Argentina’s premier wine producers a who prove they are exemplary with every varietal and style they adopt, like this rosé made from 60% Malbec and 40% Pinot Noir—both red grapes—which are harvested, refrigerated and separately pressed. Given its composition, the wine has a slightly fuller body than many other rosés, though still at only 12.5% alcohol. It has fresh fruitiness with some hazelnut notes, and would be excellent with grilled salmon.

FRESCOBALDI ALÌE 2021 ($21)— Alìe is one of the sea nymphs of Greek myth, and this is a good seafood wine. Made from Syrah and Vermentino as an I.G.T. Toscana appellation, it is from 2021, spending three months in stainless steel, so the age gives it a nice shade of coral pink and richer flavors, arriving at 12% alcohol. The grapes are softly pressed and spend 12 hours or more on the must and the wine retains mineral notes along with a pleasing citrus zest.

FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS “PINK FIDDLE” ROSÉ 2022 ($32)—This is the estate’s first foray into rosé wines, a single-vineyard offering from Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills. Winemaker Kathy Joseph ferments Pinot Noir in stainless steel from de-stemmed grapes. It’s a pricey rosé but, if not unique, the use of Pinot Noir gives it a finer intensity than those made from white grapes, and there’s plenty of fruit here to go with cheeses of every kind, even blue.

VINA LEYDA ROSÉ 2022 ($14)—Made in vineyards near the cool coast of Chile’s Leyda Valley, this, too, is made from 100% Pinot Noir in soil that has a good deal of red clay and some granite, so it has both a mellowness and a faint edge of minerality. Fermentation was about 17 days in stainless and the juice was taken off its lees then aged for seven months to help the flavors develop and acids balance. With 13% alcohol it goes well with shellfish of all kinds and nicely with chicken on the grill.

FRANCIACORTA ROSÉ SPARKLING ($38)—The interest in sparkling rosés has picked up a good deal of momentum as people realize that modern examples are not like those party bubblies like Riunite and Mateus. Franciacorta has been at it for a long while and is very popular in Italy and Europe, to be enjoyed just about any time before, during or after a meal, including with dessert. It’s a blend of Chardonnay whose make-up differs from year to year from a blend of Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and Erbamat. So there’s a good deal more complexity here than in competitors’ wines, and its versatility makes it ideal for dishes based on vegetables.

THE MILL KEEPER 2022 ($21)—Here’s a bold attempt at combining 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Grenache, 2% Malbec and 2% Petite Vera Sirah—a blend that sounds like a Bordeaux-Rhône oddity. Remarkably it is not only a pleasingly pink color and appealing 13% alcohol, but the Gamble Family Vineyards that make it in the Napa Valley have produced something quite elegant and certainly tasting like a light red that can go well with pork, veal and pesto.