Finally, it started to feel like spring had arrived this past weekend in Ontario, and with it came old familiar memories of enjoying refreshing rosé in the sun.
Last weekend and in preparation for National Rosé Day, which is less than a month away, I decided to use my background in market research to conduct a rosé tasting at home with my family to see if we can find our ideal rosé for spring!
I had six participants, none of which were given the price, region, or any notable characteristics of the wine (other than being able to see the shape of the bottle/packaging) and were required to each taste the 6 bottles chosen for the study in a different order as a way of removing further bias.
As for the tasting, I planned it outside in the midst of the late afternoon sun, first just us three girls, then the boys joined in. Things got silly fast but we were celebrating the long weekend so nobody was holding back. Adam and I were in charge of cooking dinner that night so the scent of Piri piri chicken sizzling on the bbq floated in the background. Everyone was in good spirits. Not only was it nice to host a wine tasting at home for my family but it also made for quite the perfect evening! Salut!!
IN RANKING ORDER
Whispering Angel
From Provence, France
$28.95
Whispering Angel rose to the top as the house favorite with over half of the group picking it as their number 1 choice. It’s a delicious wine often described as refreshing and light, dry with a crisp, smooth finish that offers notes of both citrus and fruits. The fact that this rosé was a popular choice came as no surprise to me as the producer, Château d'Esclans is known for excellent rosé wines. Located in Provence, France, the château primarily grows Grenache and has vines as old as 90 years. Typically old Grenache vines produce grapes that offer a greater concentration of flavour than younger vines, so again it is no surprise that the majority picked Whispering Angel’s superior quality over the rest. Further, as it was the most expensive wine we included in the tasting, I would highly recommend purchasing this wine for a special occasion or as a host gift, as it is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Studio By Miraval
From France
$18.95
Studio By Miraval followed Whispering Angel with half putting it in their top first or second spot. The wine was described as semi-dry, super easy to drink, and silky on the tongue with a very clean finish. The little sister to the Perrin families more popular Miraval (Pitt/Jolie joint venture) Rosé Côtes de Provence, Studio Miraval comes in $5 cheaper than its older sister but still holds many of the same qualities associated with the brand. One person described the smell of the wine reminding them of running through a wildflower field in the heat of summer - quiet a picture it can paint if you ask me. Made with a combination of varietals including Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, and Tibouren, the wine features delicate citrus and floral aromas accompanied by fresh berry fruit flavors. Price point wise, Studio by Miraval sits at the second most expensive wine in our tasting which would personally make it a contender for any dinners or get togethers that I will be hosting during the summer where I may want to get a little bougie.
Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé
From Midi, France
$16.95 (typically $18.95 but currently it is $2.00 off at LCBO)
Cote des Roses 2019 definitely yielded the most interesting results of our taste test because it seemed to be very polarizing. Those who loved it, really loved it (3 people put it as their 2nd place choice), while those who didn’t, gave it a very low ranking. A classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, Cote Des Roses also seemed to yield a mix of flavour profiles and was described as dry by some and semi-sweet by others. A few mentioned that it had notes of citrus while others described it as light and freshing. One thing for sure is that the bottle is eye-catching with a glass cork and many commented on its beautiful packaging. Personally, I have bought this wine and enjoyed it in the past but when compared next to the other wines in this taste test, even I was surprised to see how it dropped in the rankings to its peers.
La Vieille Ferme Rose
From Rhône, France
$12.45
La Vieille Ferme, one of my go-to purchases for both price point and taste, performed well and the best out of the three wines under $15. It received a solid 3rd place score from half with an additional person actually ranking it as their number one choice. Also part of the Perrin family’s portfolio of wines, La Vieille Ferme is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah varietals, grown on the slopes of France's Mont Ventoux in Rhone, France. This strategic positioning of the vineyards provides cooler temperatures for their grapes to grow to allow them to ripen slowly which in turn produces stronger fruit flavours and wines with crisp notes of acidity. Pale pink in colour, this wine was described as dry, but sweeter than the more expensive wines we tried, with aromas of raspberry and strawberry. I would 100% purchase this wine again for the price point, and would be happy to serve it at a party if I had to supply a few bottles for guests.
Astica Malbec Rosé
From Mendoza, Argentina
$8.95
A new wine on my radar, Astica performed quiet well amongst the group, however it did not rank as well when compared to the other wines in the tasting. It’s not too often that I am drawn to a Malbec rosé but considering this one comes out of Mendoza, Argentina, where Malbec is king, I was quite taken aback by how much I liked it. Astica was described by many as semi-sweet with buttery fruit-forward flavours followed by a slight bite at the end. Produced by Grupo Peñaflor/Trapiche, one of the leading wine producers in Argentina, I would say Astica is quite delightful and worth a shot especially if you are price conscious.
Sandbanks Rosé VQA
From Ontario, Canada
$13.95
Sandbanks Rosé from Ontario unfortunately fell to the bottom of the ranking and was not favored by anybody. This was so sad for me being from Ontario, I would love to support more local wineries but this one just seemed to miss the mark. Although it did not rank well when compared to the others, a few people did have some nice things to say about it like that it was fruit-forward in flavour and had notes of granny smith apples. I likely would not purchase this wine again nor would I recommend it to anyone else but it did, however, inspire me to go on a mission to find some good VQA Rosés I can recommend, so stay tuned for those!
