What’s the color of good Rosé wine?
Is it the Provence typical very pale, almost white peachy pink? Is it a rather strong bright pink? Is it perfect when it has a slightly rusty tone?
Does the color of Rosé wine tell you how it tastes? Bright color means sweet, pale dry?
To a certain extend the color of the Rosé wine gives you a direction, how the wine will taste. You can usually diversify between blush, crisp, fruity and rich tastes.
Blush means sweet, lower alcohol and mainly strong real pink color. The classic example would be the White Zinfandel or Mateus. These wines have the reputation of giving you straight headaches... we don’t carry them. :-)
Crisp stands for dry, light bodied, little fruit, good acidity and usually pale color. The little fruit you can taste goes mainly in a strawberry or peach direction but it’s very subtle. All Provence Rosé wines usually fall in this category. But even there you can find strong differences. Some of the Provence wines are produced in a Burgundy style with Barrique aging which gives them a full body and some wood flavors. A good example for this type is the “Les Clans” from Château d'Esclans.
Germany and other wine areas produce similar styles to the classic Provence style. Wines with sensational depth but still crisp and light bodied. The color is therefore a good first indication. Should be on the lighter, peachy and copper side.
Let’s discuss the fruity Rosés: Fruity Rosés can still be dry but give you just a little more fruit. Dominant flavors would be raspberry, cherry or strong strawberry. Rosé wines made of Tempranillo Grapes for example from the Rioja area or Ribera Del Duero would be good examples. Also Italian Rosés made of Merlot or Sangiovese grapes will have these flavors. These wines are great all-rounders, for summer or in winter. The color is usually a little bit darker tending towards a light red.
The last category is the rich tasting Rosés: Darker color, full body, high alcohol. These Rosés can be darker than red wines but are still mainly dry. These wines are great to drink in winter in front of your chimney. One prime example for this category would be the Rosé Wines from Tavel. The one we have in our portfolio - "La Dame Rousse"- reminds you of a strawberry vanilla cake or cream bonbon. However the wine is still dry with just a wisp of sweetness, comparable to Amarone Wines a classic red. A truely unique taste experience!
Let’s round this up! The color of Rosé wines gives you a strong indicator of the flavor and taste of the wine. There are always varieties within a certain category but usually the darker the pink the stronger, more body and/or fruitier the wine. Important to note is that the color doesn’t indicate if the wine is sweet or dry.
Have a great week!
Julian
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