| | Ahh, 'tis the season. The rosés are arriving, the weather is hot, and I'm enjoying life. Not a bad wine in this 2014 American rosé bunch, but the elegance and minerality of the Baker Ranch took the top spot for my palate. - 2014 Agnitio Wines Pinot Noir Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Medium salmon color. Bright and floral on the nose, roses mixed with daisies, some dandelion and nettle as well, on top of white cherries and wild strawberries. Medium to full body but crisp acid, the wine is quite creamy and ripe with strawberries, white cherries and McIntosh apple flavors. Fresh and tart but lots of vibrant fruit, backed up by notes of nettle, rose hips. (88 pts.)
- 2014 Silver Trident Pinot Noir Rosé Apollo's Folly - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Pale salmon color. Aromas of bright strawberries, cherry blossoms, peach and guava nectar, hints of cotton candy and floral perfume. A wine of bold presence on the palate, but held together by refreshing acid. Lots of juicy, almost chunky fruit (guava, red apples, summer peaches), add in notes of floral perfume, chalk and lemon zinger tea. A nice white pepper spice element lingers on the long and creamy finish. Showing a lot of weight, but still refreshing and clean. Could stand up to all sorts of summer fare. (88 pts.)
- 2014 Tolosa Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir Estate - USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Pale salmon color. Deep aromatics, with rich red cherry and ripe strawberries mixing with white flowers, banana peel and sea salt. Fresh and tangy acid, medium-bodied, this rosé is full of strawberry, watermelon and red apples, topped with lilies, baby’s breath and nettle notes. Clean and bright, lots of cut, lingering minerality, and I like the spice elements on the finish (which, based on the 2013 Pinot Noir seems to be a signature characteristic of this vineyard). Lovely stuff. (89 pts.)
- 2014 Cornerstone Cellars Syrah Stepping Stone Corallina Rosé - USA, California, Napa Valley
Deep salmon colored. Bright red and white cherries on the nose, rose hips, cotton candy, add in some white pepper and basil. Juicy and ripe on the palate but a clean sense of acid. Tangy white cherries, wild strawberries, nectarine, add in some rose petals, cherry blossoms, hints of white pepper and sweet basil. Bright and clean but I like the creaminess and earthy-herbal notes. (87 pts.)
- 2014 Baker Lane Syrah Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Pale salmon/tangerine color. Lighter approach on the nose, sliced red apples and white cherries, a breezier aromatic profile with white flowers, dandelions and hints of sea salt. Bright and crisp approach on the palate, this wine is light and elegant but not short on flavor. I get McIntosh apple, wild raspberries, tangerine and watermelon fruit, but what I like best is the complex mix of crushed chalk, white pepper, sea shells and minerals. Long, bracing finish that keeps the mouth watering. Crazy value, this is a 12% alcohol Syrah from Baker Lane’s Ramondo Vineyard. (90 pts.)
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