2017 Renegade Wine Co. Rosé

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Pink Renegade, 4/20/2018

  (Renegade Rose) Hello friends. There’s a golden rule for summer rosé consumption: if you want to be drinking the best local rosés in July and August, you better purchase them in March and April, stash them away in a dark closet or under the bed, and sit in wait for that glorious, all-too-short PacNW summer when Seattle gets nine weeks in a row of abundant sunshine. This isn’t the first time we’ve referenced this rule and it surely won’t be the last. Now more than ever, it’s important to reiterate when regarding the somewhat-new category of highly-sought-after Washington rosés. We’ve offered a few already this year—Isenhower, Mr. Pink, Tranche’s Pink Pape—and these wines were gone in a blink. Without proper planning, one would miss them all together. Today, we have a leader in the category, perhaps one of Washington’s most popular rosés… ever.Somewhere between killer price and excellent taste is where Renegade’s rosé throne sits. The last decade of growth in Washington has proven that rosé can be great from our corner of the globe, but still, nine times out of ten, rosé wine at this price point will be saignee juice, bled off from must whose destination is red wine. They’re not always bad, but they’re definitely not always good. Renegade falls into a much rarer category of sawbuck rosé—wine made from grapes that are actually picked specifically for rosé. In the case of the 2017 Renegade, it’s made from 46% Syrah, 26% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, and 11% Cinsault from the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, and Wahluke Slope, all picked specifically for rosé and then whole cluster pressed. The result is a delightful summer sipper, perfect patio pounder, boat buddy, camping companion, or hiking hero with a screw top at 12.5% listed alcohol. The aromatics on the nose evoke its summer status—a combination of roadside strawberry, freshly squeezed grapefruit, and watermelon (pink and green; flesh and rind). The palate follows suit—rippin’ citrus acidity and matching minerality coursing through notes of berries, stone fruit, and melon. Though it’s mouthwatering and juicy, there’s always a touch of texture to Renegade’s rosés, which is a pleasant surprise at the dining table if a bottle happens to make it all the way to autumn. (And also at that autumn table, a whole roasted chicken or bucatini with anchovy, garlic, and plenty of olive oil.)