Rosé Tasting Bottle-by-Bottle, Plate-by-Plate

Here are my notes on what we drank and ate at our The Brew Decants rosé tasting, with food pairings provided by The Classic Catering People, and the tasting room provided by The Wine Underground.

Wine #1 “I’m ready for something else after one sip”

Michael: This is pleasant, but mediocre. It’s smooth, like a Tavel, but lighter, with a bit of a bright aftertaste.
Ricky: I don’t notice anything metallic, but I’m not interested enough to drink more of it. I’m ready for something else after one sip.
Zach: This first one starts off behind the others. It is simply un-enjoyable.
Francine: The color is drab and the taste flat. I have had good rosés and this isn’t one of them.

The first plate: Spicy Chinese Chicken Firecracker Rolls. The contrast between the flavorful bites and the dullness of the wine is glaring!

The wine: Oregon Cadeau Jolette
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Wine #2 – “The good breeding of a cabernet”

Francine: Oh, this is much better. The color is a lovely deep rose. It’s aromatic and I like the mouth-feel – slightly frizzante and it has some depth to it. There is an almost pomegranate undertone. Clearly, this is a glass that I am finishing.
Zach: This tastes like a classy wine. Nothing offensive and it’s easy to taste the grape. It is a rosé for folks who like reds. I’m enjoying it.
Ricky: It has a very mild bouquet, though I find it a little sweet; it has a plum-like flavor with a slight spice aftertaste.
Michael: No mistakes were made making this wine. It’s tasty and straightforward with the good breeding of a Cabernet. It’s in a very different class from the first one. No comparison.

The wine: Crios Rosé Malbec from Argentina.
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Wine #3 – “Gardens and cut-grass,” plus “a tingle”

Michael: This one is very attractive, slightly floral aroma; the frizzante tingle is pleasing in the mouth. This one is very classy.
Zach: I agree, it does taste like a classy wine. There is nothing offensive about it. It is even-keeled and steady throughout. No loud finish. This could be an expensive one.
Francine: I like the complex amber – pink color. It looks and tastes like my image of a Rosé, smells like gardens and cut grass.
Ricky: This one is really elegant with a bright aroma and a pleasant bite. Almost as though there is some carbonization. It is on the dry side in a way that I like.

The Second Plate: Thai vegetable shiitake mushroom stir-fry.

The wine: Fouquette Rosée Aurore, France
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Wine #4: “A crescendo.” Or “no crescendo!”

Ricky: The color is very pale and it has a subtle mild flavor with a crescendo that I like. The aftertaste is smooth and subtle.
Zach: To me it seems like a slow drumbeat, with no crescendo. I don’t appreciate the acidity or tang. I would think it is probably inexpensive.
Michael: I think it’s more interesting than that. There’s a nice hint of sweetness over the light, dry undertones.
Francine: Clearly we have different receptors. To me it is disappointing. Bright and mineral enough on the tongue to raise expectations, but no recognizable flavor. Very unsatisfying.
The wine: Muga Rosado Spain
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Wine #5: “A ripe wild strawberry”
Francine: If I got this one by the glass in a restaurant I’d be very happy. I like the brightness of it – it glows in the glass. This is a rich grape. It has the mouth-feel of a ripe wild strawberry.
Michael: To me it is just not interesting. Only alright.
Ricky: I think it has a nicely blended flavor. It feels light and tastes full with some depth.
Zach: This one is very easy to drink. I wouldn’t seek it out, but it is easy to drink. I wouldn’t seek it out, but I would be happy to have a bottle.

The third plate: Butter-poached Salmon, with Three-Onion Remoulade and Basil Sprouts. We agree this is a go-with-everything dish. The texture is similar to a sous vide poached salmon, but creamier and sparked with the sweetness of the remoulade and the tang of the sprouts.

The wine: Mulderbosch Rosé, South Africa
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Wine #6: “An old-fashioned rosé taste – sort of like a cab spritzer.”

Michael: Even though it is rich, strong and fruity – I might guess a Tavel – it’s not what I want from a rosé.
Ricky: Maybe that’s why I like it. It has a smooth rich flavor, with a bit of a bite and a satisfying aftertaste.
Zach: More powerful than the others, but not what I want on a hot Baltimore summer day.
Francine: Has a sort of old fashioned rosé taste, sort of like a cab spritzer.
The wine: Ameztia Extaldea Rosé, France
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Wine #7: “I imagine it’s what bottled wine coolers are like.”

Zach: This is my least favorite so far. It’s bad.
Ricky: I wont finish this glass I guess somebody else might like this wine, but I can’t imagine it.
Michael: It’s cloying and unbalanced.
Francine: I agree – its pretty bad. I imagine it’s what bottled wine coolers are like.

The Fourth Plate: Asparagus and Vidalia Onion Flan with Cracked Pepper Chêvre. We find the flan delicious though, even with its cilantro jade sauce, it doesn’t offer as much contrast as is needed to balance the super-softness of the wine.

The wine: Ameztoi Rubentis Spain
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Wine #8:”Bitter and bubbly.”

Ricky: It is everything I don’t like in a white wine and nothing that I like in a red.
Zach: This one rivals my least favorite of the evening. I especially don’t like the exaggerated frizzante quality.
Michael: Really uninteresting. It is just bitter and bubbly.
Francine: It has the acidity of a Tavel but none of the resonance. It lacks authenticity.

The wine: Mordoree Tavel Dame France
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