Wine & Spirits - Summer 2023 - 65

think pink
ITALY ROSÉ
91 | Le Casematte
2022 Sicilia Rosematte Rosé ^ This nerello
mascalese rosé from Sicily's northeast corner
is no simple quaff er. Its succulent fl avors of
tangy cherry and blood orange are infused
with notes of wild herbs and a savory nutskin
bitterness. The wine's deep coral color
pushes the boundary between rosé and red,
and its intensely saline fi nish suggests a
match with grilled salmon or salumi. -S.J. §
Empson, Alexandria, VA
90 | Murgo
$22
2022 Etna Rosato ^ This pink nerello mascalese
off ers fl avors of tart strawberry, pomegranate
and blood orange tinged with salinity.
Fully dry with a hint of smoke, it's ready
for a barbecue. -S.J. §North Berkeley Imports,
Berkeley, CA/Skurnik Wines, NY
US ROSÉ
CALIFORNIA ROSÉ
92 | Birichino
91 | Malene
$22
2022 San Luis Obispo Coast Rosé (BEST
BUY) ^ Lean and herbal scents of lemon thyme
match this wine's lemony acids. What starts
out zippy with fruit acids becomes mineral
and dusty, with a silky grip. -P.J.C. §
91 | Minus Tide
$26
$19
2022 California Vin Gris Rosé (BEST BUY) ^
This blend is mostly grenache, and includes
carignane, cinsault, mourvedre and rolle,
putting it squarely in the Provence camp. It's
pale like Provençal wines, with a light herbal
note, dusty minerality and a slight sourness
that frames the wine nicely. It's comfortable
in its skin, relaxed, with a quiet elegance for
peel-and-eat shrimp. -P.J.C. (3,300 cases) §
92 | Hawkbox
$85/1.5L
2022 Sta. Rita Hills Rosé of Pinot Noir
Radian Vineyard ^ Megan and Reed Skupny,
daughter and son of John and Tracy Skupny
of Napa's Lang & Reed, are producing this
magnum-only pink from a cool Sta. Rita Hills
benchland property. This smells of biscuits
and warm strawberries; the fl avors are fi rm
and balanced, with brisk cherry tartness for
duck. -P.J.C. §
92 | Tongue Dancer
$22
2022 Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir
(BEST BUY) ^ James MacPhail bled some juice
from each of his Sonoma Coast pinot noir
tanks after a day with the skins, producing
this formidable rosé in a dry, stainless-steel
style. It's tight and fl oral-spicy with cherry
and red-berry fl avors that last, to pour with
the pink tinge of crab meat. -J.G. §
2022 Mendocino County Carignan Feliz
Creek Vineyard Rosé ^ Wendy Fetzer organically
farms these bush vines in Hopland, then
Kyle Jeff rey and Brad Jonas direct-press the
fruit and let it ferment spontaneously in
stainless steel tanks. The wine is mineral-forward,
with a soft touch of salinity before palered
cherry fl avors come up from underneath
and last. Tastings Editor Corey Warren, who
covered a lot of rosé for this issue, liked how
vinous this one tastes: " It feels like wine, and
it feels like carignane. " -J.G. §
90 | Grgich Hills
$28
2022 Napa Valley Rosé ^ Presenting Napa
Valley in a lean and dry rosé, this estate wine
is grown under organics, with a spontaneous
fermentation that brings a complex scent of
rhubarb and potpourri. Its cranberry fl avors
off er some drive in the fi nish. -J.G. §
90 | J. Lohr
$25
2022 Adelaida District Paso Robles Gre91
| Pedroncelli Winery
nache Rosé Stairway Vineyard ^ Scents of
red plum and orange have a smoky, tealike
back note. This is fresh and surprisingly
round given its savor, with the heft for barbecued
ribs. -P.J.C. (207 cases) §
$22
2022 Dry Creek Valley Rosé (BEST BUY) ^
With its neon-pink color and light strawberry
refreshment, this seems simple. Then the
wine's edges push back with hints of smoky
bacon, and that delicate strawberry fl avor
lasts in a mouthwatering way. -J.G. §
90 | Côte West
$26
2022 Dry Creek Valley Rosé of Counoise ^
This wine's lemon and white-cherry fl avors
are restrained by an orange-pith touch of tannins,
adding to the wine's fruit intensity. For
pan-seared trout or salmon. -J.G. §
NEW YORK ROSÉ
91 | Wagner
$16
2022 Finger Lakes Dry Rosé of Cabernet
Franc (BEST BUY) ^ Tangy watermelon and
strawberry scents give way to a suite of bright
SUMMER 2023
WINE & SPIR IT S
65
87 | Mina Mesa
$12
2022 Central Coast Rosé (BEST BUY) ^ A hardcandy
sweetness introduces with this wine
with bright cherry-lozenge fl avors and a whiff
of strawberry and herb. It's juicy and round
with a modest grip, and good bang for the
buck. -P.J.C. (1,300 cases) §
https://www.grgich.com/product/2022-rose-miljenkos-selection/ https://www.malenewines.com/wine/rose-cuvee/ https://www.jlohr.com/wines/2022-stairway-vineyard-rose https://www.pedroncelli.com
Wine & Spirits - Summer 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Summer 2023
