When was the last time I actually spent money on a rose? I can’t remember but I would guess it has been over 20 years. Why would anyone who actually loves wine buy a rose? When Gaiter and Brecher of the Wall Street Journal recommend one. Friday’s wine column on was tasting a passel of roses. In my mind, roses are a good reason NOT to drink wine but soda pop instead. Never-the-less, I have always found Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher to have reliable assessments of their tasting forays and this week it was roses. About the only one I recognized was the South African Rose called Goats do Rome. This is the same group that makes a good quality red wine for about $10. This rose was $8 and is a blend of granache, pinotage, shiraz and cinsault.
Over simplifying a bit roses are made from red grapes which are not left in contact with the juice for nearly as long as a red wine; hence the much lighter color and difference in flavor. The WSJ recommended the 2004 but I could only find the 2003. Putting a good chill on it I opened it and found it to have a fresh fruity bouquet but very subdued. The flavor was refreshing but shallow, pleasant but hollow. It was gone before you know it and when trying to describe it, it left you stupefied trying to describe nothingness. About all I could say is, “it wasn’t offensive...” But in fairness this was not the same vintage receommendced by the WSJ. So for $8,I shall give it another chance when the 2004 is available in my neck of the woods. Until then, I’d raise a glass of something else!
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