This past weekend, I invited a few wine professionals here in Houston to my house for what I believe to be the largest blind tasting of American True Rosés, This year we tasted 51 wines, which was one less than last year’s 52, two years ago there were 64, (in 2023 there were 53, 2022: 51, 2021: 68, 2020: 74, in 2019 there were 54, 68 in 2018, and the first year we had 36).
I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, what the heck is a “True Rosé”?
Well, there are essentially three ways to make a rosé wine. The first, which is rarely practiced outside of sparkling wine production, is a simple blend of red wine and white wine. The second, which is widely practiced around the world, is called the Saignée Method where shortly after the fruit intended for red wine is crushed, a portion of the grape juice (after brief contact with the skins) is bled off (“saigné” means “bled” in French). This bled-off pink wine is then vinified as if it were a white wine.
The third option is what I call a “True Rosé.” In this process, the grapes are often planted, raised, picked, and processed with the intention of making rosé. True Rosés are therefore not a byproduct of red wine production (as with a saignée), they are intentionally or purposefully made. They are True Rosés.
This is not to say that all non-True Rosés are “false”–there are many saignées that are wonderful wines. What I am saying, though, is that all other factors being equal, a True Rosé will be “better” than a saignée. Why? Well, simply put there are two main factors that provide structure for a wine: tannins (almost exclusively in red wines) and acidity. Red wines are generally picked at higher sugar and pH (lower acid) levels since the skins contain high levels of tannin. The juice from the red grapes will remain in contact with the skins for an extended amount of time in order to extract those tannins and provide structure for the wines (additional structure, tannins, and flavor can be added by using oak barrels to age the wine).
White wines, on the other hand, usually spend as little time as possible in contact with the skins to avoid the imparting of tannin. Thus, white wines rely almost solely on acidity to provide structure for the wine (oak barrels can also be used with whites but more often than not the barrels used in white wine production are neutral). So, generally speaking, white grapes are picked with lower pH (higher acidity) than their red brethren.
No matter the method, the vast majority of rosés are made like white wines as they rely solely on acidity, not tannins, to provide the wine’s structure. So again, all other elements being equal (winemaker, quality of fruit, etc.), a True Rosé is a more desirable way to make a pink wine since it will be higher in acidity and therefore have better structure than a saignée.
Thus, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, we waded through 52 American True Rosés (OK, there were a few saignées that got in there somehow) four wines at a time, without knowing their identities.
A little less than half of the bottles were from a previous vintage (when wineries send more than one bottle, I save the additional bottles for the following year’s tasting) since it is my contention that well-made rosés do not have to be consumed almost immediately after release. Sure, as with whites and reds, rosés lose a bit of fruit and freshness as they age, but they also develop different flavors as they evolve–just as do all well-made wines regardless of hue.
As promised, I am publishing my actual notes from the tasting of 13 flights of four wines. Here are the first three flights in the order they were tasted.
2025 Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Rose of Pinot Noir, Sonomma County, CA: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (514g; 18.1oz). True Rosé (?). A bit on the dark side for a rosé, a medium salmon with great fruit on the nose, strawberry rhubarb with a touch of melon. Nice. Really great fruit on the palate, too, with incredible acidity. Wow, what a start!. Outstanding. 94 Points.
*2024 We Know Jack Zinfandel Riff Raff, Jack Florence Sr. Vineyard, Rockpile Vineyard, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $34. Very Responsible Bottle (490g; 17.3oz). True Rosé. Another medium to dark in color, a brilliant salmon with more of a citrus vibe here with hints of guava and banana. Good fruit on the palate with the tartness coming through right before the finish, which is lengthy but also a tad hot. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2024 Girasole Vineyards Rosé, Mendocino County, CA: Retail $20. Very Responsible Bottle (488g; 17.2oz). True Rosé. 50% Zinfandel, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Pinot Noir. Medium to light color in the glass with a bit of a seven-up vibe on the nose, which transfers to the palate as well. Initially a bit shy, but both the fruit and the tartness come through right before the finish. Excellent. 90 Points.
2024 Elouan Rosé, Oregon: Retail $20. Extremely Heavy Bottle (811g; 28.6oz). True Rosé. 100%(?) Pinot Noir. Bubblegum pink with a candied fruity, bubble gummy nose, too. It starts off a bit slow, but the acidity comes in with a wave of fruit on the mid palate. Nice. Very Good. 88 Points.
*2022 Chehalem Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (478g; 16.9oz). Pale salmon with a nose of melon and red floral notes. The palate is quite tart, mineral, and even a bit earthy. I am guessing that this has a bit of age on it. But I like it. A lot. Outstanding. 93 Points.
2024 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (642g; 22.6oz). Classic color and nose: floral, a touch of citrus, and hints of strawberry. Really good fruit on the palate, but the acidity struggles to keep up until the finish, which also comes off a tad hot. Very Good. 89 Points.
2025 Sangiacomo Wines Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $38. Responsible Bottle (540g; 19.0oz). True Rosé (?). Medium salmon with a pink hue with oodles of fruit on the nose. Yum. Strawberry, melon, and tons of cherry. The palate is wonderful, great balance, loads of fruit, and a zingy tartness. Excellent. 92 Points.
2024 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $32. Responsible Bottle (514g; 18.1oz). Not much fruit initially on this pale orange wine. In fact, it is more of a popcorn vibe. Odd? The palate is lacking fruit, too, and not much acidity, either. Maybe too cold? In a “dumb phase”? Very Good. 88 Points.
**2024 La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé, Monterey, CA: Retail $25. Brilliant light bubblegum pink in color, more so than any so far. Fruity and lively in the glass with great cherry and strawberry. Tart, even really tart on the palate with some fruit but it’s somewhat hidden behind all that tartness. Excellent. 90 Points.
*2023 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Œil de Perdrix, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $24. Very Heavy Bottle (723g; 25.5oz). True rosé. Fairly rich and beautiful pinkish orange. An interesting nose of raspberry compote, certainly more of a dried or baked fruit vibe. Certainly not “fresh fruit” here. The palate is also a bit heavy with the fruit more advanced (does this have some age?) Certainly more of a vinous type of rosé with an extremely long finish. I like it. Excellent. 92 Points.
**2022 Simple Life Winery Rosé, California: Retail $18. Very Responsible Bottle (464g; 16.4oz). Made by Don Sebastiani and Sons. Medium to dark color, with a fantastic nose, perhaps the best thus far. The palate is more tart than fruity, but there is certainly fruit. One of my favorite thus far. Outstanding. 94 Points.
2024 Fairsing Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $36. Responsible Bottle (597g; 21.1oz). Odd nose of this medium to light orange-ish pink. Furniture polish-y. Odd on the palate as well, need to revisit. This might be an off bottle. Not Rated.
Note: Wines with one asterisk (*) were second bottles from a previous year’s tasting. Wines with two asterisks (**) I actually purchased to include in the tasting.
More coming soon!
the drunken cyclist 