La Rochelle Winery

This is the real deal – nothing makes true dry to the bone rosé like Pinot Noir, especially Pinot from Monterey. From the beautifully aromatic and aristocratic Mariafeld clone, (an older clone of Pinot known for its bright strawberry-rhubarb flavors and planted in especially cool climates), this wine is a tribute to the Mirassou’s association with both Pinot and Monterey. From the Mission Ranch vineyard in Arroyo Seco, originally planted in 1961 by the Mirassou family, comes this positively English Gin-dry, wry sense of humor wine. It’s like the light fantastic saber – cuts right through your liver and the rest of you be damned.

Done saignée style, the juice was drawn off the skins and put into two neutral-oak barrels. The pink juice was then fermented completely dry and bottled after only seven months. This rosé is a lovely shade of coral: pure and clear. Hints of strawberries, roses, orange oil and caraway seed give way to a rich mid-palate full of clean, crisp strawberry-rhubarb and watermelon flavors. This is the kind of rosé you want with raw oysters and clams: perhaps shrimp boiled with dill. And it works really nicely with cold pork roast as well. Throw some cranberry and chile salsa at it, and the flavors really meld. On another note, the obvious pair is roasted chicken with apricot and green chile stuffing. Or maybe, speaking of liver, a nice duck liver mousse on English water crackers. Don’t forget the cornichons.

(Alc: 13.9%, Price: $24)

Reviewed August 31, 2007 by Laura Ness.