Summer (And Fall) of Rosé

Another weekend is almost upon us, and many of us will be taking advantage of long, sunshine-filled days with friends and family, beach time, barbecues, and other relaxing summer fun. It’s still summer, after all!

I have some perfect wines to go with your summery fun. The below samples showed up in my office one Monday morning not too long ago. A Monday with a wine mail call is not too bad at all!

The following wines were kindly sent to me:

• M.Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Belleruche Rosé 2013
• Domaine Le Murmurium Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2013
• Saveur du Temps Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2013
• Lavau Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2013

All of these are Rhône rosés, known for being more structured and fuller bodied than others, and for their ability to pair with food. As I mentioned above, they also pair really well with sun.

We sampled these wines on the boat and in our back yard, and we truly loved them all.

My favorites, however, were the Saveur du Temps Costières de Nîmes Rosé  and the Lavau.

The Saveur du Temps, a Grenache/Syrah blend  was fun and fruity, shared with friends in the sun while enjoying bits of cheese, meat, veggies, and other snacks. It’s one of those wines you could drink with anyone; it’s fruity enough for those who prefer something sweeter, but it’s still nice and dry.

The Lavau, a blend of Cinsault and Grenache,  has a beautiful rich color and medium body, with dark cherry and ripe strawberry notes, fruits that really show themselves in the wine. But there’s also that dry, mineral characteristic that wines from this region also express. I can tell you it’s just really yummy.

Most importantly, the Lavau is a reminder that there are Rosé wines that are made for year-round enjoyment, with heavier foods like spiced grilled steak, which is what we paired this with. Because these wines have more structure and complexity than your regular beach day Rosé, you could easily be sipping them while wrapped up in your favorite sweater in front of a fire pit outdoors. The thought sounds kind of delightful, doesn’t it?

All of these wines were provided as samples. All opinions are my own.