Vina Robles Winery

I, for one, am all in favor of pushing the rosé revival all the way to an equal position in the wine spectrum, both critically and market-wise. Whether as a lifestyle sipper or as serious food wine, varietally-expressive rosé should enjoy an equitable niche, once we get beyond the wrong-headed notion that rosé is some kind of winemaking compromise, or that rosé “means” white Zinfandel, and therefore can’t be serious. Having said that, too many of the nouveau rosés being promoted today are simply insipid “bleeds”; free run byproducts of the “more important” business of pumping up the intensity in the “mother” must for a BIG red wine.

Well, the hell with “mother”! Rosé should have a healthy dose of the character that comes in the hides of those varieties chosen to make a rosé statement. In this case, the varieties are Grenache and Syrah (60% / 40%) and the 2007 Roseum was nursed on substantial skin contact before pressing. You will immediately see this in the compelling cherry color and the strawberry nose and flavor, and watch for the no-compromise grippyness, pepper and serious acidity as this wine rolls across your palate. This one's definitely a wine to go to dinner with!

Reviewed May 26, 2008 by Roger Dial.