Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Minerals slightly atop grapes
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt BEAUTIFULLY offset by an acidity which evolves into a LONG, BALANCED finish for now & through '20 without problem. IMPRESSIVE in a food friendly style! My EXC-/EXC. [Tasted from a 375 ml @ $14.95, which would SEEM to be an EXCELLENT price for such.]
Note: Also tasted on 7/21/2018 & 5/18/2019 with fairly consistent TNs to this one.
From 30 yr old vines; Typically aged in vats for 4-6 mos
N: Intriguingly FRAGRANT minerals with earth
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) VERY nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which transitions into a LONG, BALANCED finish for now & through '21? Equally adept as quaff or with food. My EXC-, poss higher for QPR? [This vendor's $17.95 is $2 < wine-searcher's only currently listed posting.]
"Composed of 55% old vine Mataro & 45% old vine Grenache, Ode to Lulu is our love letter to the Bandol rosé we love so much. ["Lulu is the 99 yr old matriarch of Domaine Tempier, who along with her husband Lucien Peyraud advocated the creation of the now famous wine region Bandol in the 1940s."] The Mataro is sourced from the sandy soils & own-rooted vines of Oakley along with a dash of 1920s-planted fruit from the famed Pagani Ranch. The deliciously feral & wild Mataro element is enlivened by Grenache planted in the 1880s at Gibson Ranch in Mendocino’s McDowell Valley."
N: Flowers slightly atop grapes with a smoky note?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) braced by an acidity which IS the face of the wine into & through the LONG, tangy/swt finish. A food style for now & poss through '21? My EXC-; [This vendor's price would appear to be VERY competitive.]
"77% Grenache, 13% Rolle (Vermentino), 4% Cinsault, 3% Syrah, & 3% Tibouren from 10-12 yr old vines in lower elevation vyds with clay & gravel soils; 100% s/s fermentation tanks with a controlled fermentation temp (14ºC) are used as well as 'bâtonnages' of the yeast lees. Aged 3-4 mos in tank on yeast lees." [Info from U.S. Importer]
N: Slightly closed; Mostly minerals/flowers?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which is the face of the wine through the LONG, tangy/swt, very, VERY slightly bitterish finish. For now & through '20. 13% ABV; My VG+. 92 pts The Wine Front, 91 ea wine-pages.com, Steven Spurrier, & Decanter (Anson), 89 WS & WA, 88 WE @ $23, 17.5/20 Matthew Jukes, and 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $19.95 now ranks it in the top 15% of wine-searcher's slowly dwindling field.]
Note: Also tasted 4/14. 5/12, & 11/17/18, + 3/8/19.
From "the steepest vineyards in the world for P.N.," vines ave 25-35 yrs old; “From steep, south-facing vyds of predominantly weathered slate & greywacke soils, the P.N. grapes are picked by hand & transported to the winery in small boxes, gently processed, with the must being clarified by sedimentation. The cooled & strained fermentation takes place in s/s tanks. After several wks of storage on the lees, the filling takes place after about 6 mos. 12.0% ABV, 8.0 g/L R.S., & 7.6 g/L T.A.”
N: ATTRACTIVE flowers atop grapes, poss minerals
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by some init spritzy acidity which evolves into a very LONG, BALANCED finish. For now & likely through '21. QUITE a versatile style! My EXC-/EXC; [This vendor's $20.95 is now $2 < wine-searcher's next lowest.]
Typically, 60% Grenache, 30% Clairette, & 10% Syrah from vines ave 45 yrs of age grown in clay, round river rock, & sandy soils; "Entirely hand-harvested. Maceration of 12-24 hrs to extract primary aromas. Fermentation with only indigenous yeasts at a very low temperatures over 2 days, then increased in temperature to 25°C for 7 days in order to increase the fruity taste. Aged in concrete tanks and s/s, & typically fermented to < 1gr/L R.S."
N: Closed; MINERALS with notes of oranges?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) met by a TANGY acidity which transitions into a LONG finish with swtish tinged frt. For now & probably through '20. My VG+; [This vendor's $14.95 puts it in the top 1/2 of wine-searcher's LIMITED current entries.]
S/s only, malolactic being blocked; Also, the 50 yr old Niellucio vines from which this comes are believed to be related to Sangiovese.
N: CLOSED; Hints of minerals?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) off-set by an acidity which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish for now & probably through '20. My VG+/EXC-; [I no longer found another source with which to compare this vendor's $16.95.]
N: Slightly closed; Minerals with smoky undetones?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) charmingly counterbalanced by an acidity which sets the parameters into & through the LONG, balanced finish with a delightful tangy/swtness. For now & POSS through '21? Probably best as a quaff, but might be able to accompany lighter fare. 13.9% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, arguably the higher for QPR. 91 pts & "Very highly rec," CA Grapevine. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
2016 Domaines Ott Bandol Rosé Château Romassan
France, Provence, Bandol
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Minerals slightly atop grapes
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt BEAUTIFULLY offset by an acidity which evolves into a LONG, BALANCED finish for now & through '20 without problem. IMPRESSIVE in a food friendly style! My EXC-/EXC. [Tasted from a 375 ml @ $14.95, which would SEEM to be an EXCELLENT price for such.]
Note: Also tasted on 7/21/2018 & 5/18/2019 with fairly consistent TNs to this one.
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2018 Domaine du Vieux Collège Marsannay Rosé
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay Rosé
From 30 yr old vines; Typically aged in vats for 4-6 mos
N: Intriguingly FRAGRANT minerals with earth
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) VERY nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which transitions into a LONG, BALANCED finish for now & through '21? Equally adept as quaff or with food. My EXC-, poss higher for QPR? [This vendor's $17.95 is $2 < wine-searcher's only currently listed posting.]
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2018 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Old Vine Rosé
USA, California
"Composed of 55% old vine Mataro & 45% old vine Grenache, Ode to Lulu is our love letter to the Bandol rosé we love so much. ["Lulu is the 99 yr old matriarch of Domaine Tempier, who along with her husband Lucien Peyraud advocated the creation of the now famous wine region Bandol in the 1940s."] The Mataro is sourced from the sandy soils & own-rooted vines of Oakley along with a dash of 1920s-planted fruit from the famed Pagani Ranch. The deliciously feral & wild Mataro element is enlivened by Grenache planted in the 1880s at Gibson Ranch in Mendocino’s McDowell Valley."
N: Flowers slightly atop grapes with a smoky note?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) braced by an acidity which IS the face of the wine into & through the LONG, tangy/swt finish. A food style for now & poss through '21? My EXC-; [This vendor's price would appear to be VERY competitive.]
Note: Also tasted on 3/16/2019
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2017 Caves d'Esclans Whispering Angel
France, Provence, Côtes de Provence
"77% Grenache, 13% Rolle (Vermentino), 4% Cinsault, 3% Syrah, & 3% Tibouren from 10-12 yr old vines in lower elevation vyds with clay & gravel soils; 100% s/s fermentation tanks with a controlled fermentation temp (14ºC) are used as well as 'bâtonnages' of the yeast lees. Aged 3-4 mos in tank on yeast lees." [Info from U.S. Importer]
N: Slightly closed; Mostly minerals/flowers?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which is the face of the wine through the LONG, tangy/swt, very, VERY slightly bitterish finish. For now & through '20. 13% ABV; My VG+. 92 pts The Wine Front, 91 ea wine-pages.com, Steven Spurrier, & Decanter (Anson), 89 WS & WA, 88 WE @ $23, 17.5/20 Matthew Jukes, and 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $19.95 now ranks it in the top 15% of wine-searcher's slowly dwindling field.]
Note: Also tasted 4/14. 5/12, & 11/17/18, + 3/8/19.
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2018 Meyer-Näkel Rosé Spätburgunder Ahr Rose
Germany, Ahr
From "the steepest vineyards in the world for P.N.," vines ave 25-35 yrs old; “From steep, south-facing vyds of predominantly weathered slate & greywacke soils, the P.N. grapes are picked by hand & transported to the winery in small boxes, gently processed, with the must being clarified by sedimentation. The cooled & strained fermentation takes place in s/s tanks. After several wks of storage on the lees, the filling takes place after about 6 mos. 12.0% ABV, 8.0 g/L R.S., & 7.6 g/L T.A.”
N: ATTRACTIVE flowers atop grapes, poss minerals
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by some init spritzy acidity which evolves into a very LONG, BALANCED finish. For now & likely through '21. QUITE a versatile style! My EXC-/EXC; [This vendor's $20.95 is now $2 < wine-searcher's next lowest.]
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2018 Château de Manissy Tavel Cuvée des Lys
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel
Typically, 60% Grenache, 30% Clairette, & 10% Syrah from vines ave 45 yrs of age grown in clay, round river rock, & sandy soils; "Entirely hand-harvested. Maceration of 12-24 hrs to extract primary aromas. Fermentation with only indigenous yeasts at a very low temperatures over 2 days, then increased in temperature to 25°C for 7 days in order to increase the fruity taste. Aged in concrete tanks and s/s, & typically fermented to < 1gr/L R.S."
N: Closed; MINERALS with notes of oranges?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) met by a TANGY acidity which transitions into a LONG finish with swtish tinged frt. For now & probably through '20. My VG+; [This vendor's $14.95 puts it in the top 1/2 of wine-searcher's LIMITED current entries.]
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2017 Domaine Poli Patrimonio Clos Alivu Rosé
France, Corsica, Patrimonio
S/s only, malolactic being blocked; Also, the 50 yr old Niellucio vines from which this comes are believed to be related to Sangiovese.
N: CLOSED; Hints of minerals?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) off-set by an acidity which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish for now & probably through '20. My VG+/EXC-; [I no longer found another source with which to compare this vendor's $16.95.]
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2018 Pisoni Family Vineyards Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
"26% whole cluster press; 74% saignée. Fermented in neutral barrels. 1,041 cases produced."
N: Slightly closed; Minerals with smoky undetones?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) charmingly counterbalanced by an acidity which sets the parameters into & through the LONG, balanced finish with a delightful tangy/swtness. For now & POSS through '21? Probably best as a quaff, but might be able to accompany lighter fare. 13.9% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, arguably the higher for QPR. 91 pts & "Very highly rec," CA Grapevine. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: Also tasted on 4/27/2019
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