Tavosa, 2010 Grenache Rosé, Sonoma Valley

Tavosa Wines is located in Sonoma, California. The Benz and O'Connor families have partnered with winemaker Justin Estes to create small batch wines inspired by Old World wine regions.

Tavosa already had a foot in the door at the girl & the fig, so when the wine was ready, it was welcomed with open arms. This is the first wine from a small family winery that has dreamed about making this happen, and indeed it has.  We were fortunate to have worked with Nick's wife Lenka, so we had an insider tip when the wine was ready. And with only 48 cases of their first wine, we were happy to be in line.

Among the grapes that Tavosa purchases come come from the Kick Ranch, vineyards that we have grown to respect for their enthusiastic efforts with Rhone grape varietals. Kick Ranch has become a “reference point” vineyard for Rhone varietal grapes in Sonoma County, and in addition, some killer Sauvignon Blanc wines. The vineyard is on a beautiful hillside planted on historic land - a vineyard flourished there by 1880. 

In a recent Q & A with owner Nick Benz, he contemplates the start of his personal wine business.

Nick Benz

Why did you decide to start Tavosa?

The old adage...find something you love and you will never work another day in your life.

What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

Patience.  The wine industry can be an obstacle course.  To succeed you need the patience and solid plan forward.

Their first wine, a lovely refreshing Grenache Rose has the aromas of rose petals on a plate of fresh cut summer melons. 

Justin Estes, Winemaker -  In 2007 he received an internship offer with the highly acclaimed Pinot Noir producer Kosta Browne. After two months of complete immersion, he knew he found his career path. The following Southern Hemisphere harvest took Justin to the Barossa Valley in South Australia where he worked at Teusner Wines, a renowned producer of Rhone varietals. He fell in love with the aromas and blending capabilities the grape has to offer.  After another harvest at Kosta Brown, Justin took an opportunity at Landmark Vineyards where he met Nick.

When winemaker, Justin Estes was asked, what would you pair with the 2010 Grenache Rosé?
His response was a sensible one for a very refreshing wine --- I would pair this Rosé with a hot summer day and good friends.

websites:  Tavosa
                Kick Ranch

Shane, 2009 Ma Fille, Sonoma Valley

Shane winery produces Rhône varietals exclusively, which plays right into the hand of the girl & the fig’s “Rhône alone” wine list.  This particular Rosé exhibits striking neon pink and ruby accented color.  Ma Fille means “my daughter” in French.

From the website:  “Our mission is to produce hand-crafted, small lot, terrior-specific Rhône varietal wines infused with the passion of their winemaker and the purity of their vineyards.  We work exclusively with growers committed to the highest expressions of their vineyards.  With such partnerships, we seek to create wines of nuance, balance and originality.”

SHANE FINLEY, in the summer of 2001, left New York City and his job with an insurance company to begin his winemaking career as a harvest intern. Without any formal training in wine, he started at the bottom and began to work his way up. Shane's first harvest was in Santa Rosa, CA at Copain Wines. He was given the opportunity to participate in all facets of winemaking and the experience galvanized his desire to continue his winemaking career. 

In 2002, Shane worked for Torbreck Vintners in South Australia's Barossa Valley as a harvest intern. After completing the vintage at Torbreck, Shane moved to the Northern Rhône to take a year internship at Domaine Pierre Gaillard. Unlike his previous posts, Shane worked in the vineyards as well as the cellar. Living in the small town of Malleval, Shane spent much of his time with Pierre and his family. It was at the Gaillard's dinner table where he built the foundation of his winemaking philosophy. Upon his return to California in July of 2003, Shane became the Cellar Master at Copain Custom Crush. He began working closely with clients such as Dumol, Carlisle, and Pisoni Estate as well as Copain Wines' winemaker Wells Guthrie. In 2005, Shane took the job as Assistant Winemaker at Paul Hobbs Winery. Here he began to cement his winemaking philosophy. 

In the spring of 2006, Shane accepted the position of Associate Winemaker at Kosta Browne Wines. Shane works closely with Michael Browne crafting their renowned pinot noirs.

In his spare time, Shane is the owner and winemaker of Shane Wine Cellars.

Varietal: Syrah

Aroma:  Watermelon, passion fruit, papaya, citrus, and pomegranate.        

Body:  “The acidity is focused and zippy. The Ma Fille packs impressive depth for a rosé – especially one with sub-fourteen percent alcohol. This is a wine of well-defined edges, refreshing flavors, and a juicy finish.” - Shane Finley

Cases produced: 250

Appellation: Sonoma County

2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose

Domaine Tempier has been the leading Bandol name for decades. Tempier's owners, the Peyraud family, almost single-handedly brought the wine world's attention to the Bandol appellation. Their wines have always been flamboyantly rich and powerful, but recent vintages have been sweeter and fleshier. Domaine Tempier offers an earthy, dense rosé with the texture of a red wine. A distinctly powerful style of rosé that matches well with grilled meats and hearty fish courses.

Kermit Lynch has been importing the Tempier rosé for over 30 years now.

Varietals: mourvedre, grenache
Color: bright orange pink. Almost golden salmon color.
Body: light, dry
Aromas: peach skins, nectarine, red currents, dried flowers, and smokey minerals.

The rosé is fermented in steel after a cold soak, then matured in vat for 6-8 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes: juicy red berries, pit fruit flavors, melons, cherry skins, and zesty minerals. Dry, focused and chewy, with strong finishing punch and lingering notes of talc-y minerals. Rated: 92 by Josh Raynolds, Jun 09 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Domaine Tempier is a place in Provence, a home with its winery and vineyards, its olive trees and cypresses. It is home to a large joyful Provencal family. It is a wine. And while it must be inadvertent, one of those fortuitous miracles that embellish existence (there is no recipe for it dispensed at wine school), there is a certain vital spirit that one imbibes with each gorgeous swallow of Domaine Tempier’s wine.

Domaine Tempier is located at Le Plan du Castellet. Its vineyards stretch over three different communities- Le Castellet, Le Beausset and La Cadière. The plots of land are thus far apart and require extra work. But the soil of these different areas yield distinctive cuvées -Spéciale, Migoua, Tourtine and Cabassaou - as well as interesting and complex blends for white, rosé and red wines.

Domaine Tempier lies in the heart of the vineyard boundaries. It already existed during the reign of King Louis XV, and the "bastide" was built on the family's property in 1834. The Domain has remained a family owned estate since 1834.
In 1885, it obtained recognition with a first gold medal.
In 1880, after the phylloxera epidemic had ruined the French wine trade, Léonie Tempier began the renewal by having her vineyard completely replanted on root-stocks, and a cellar built with wooden and cement vats. However, the 1929 crash caused the wine business to plunge; the vines were partly replaced by peach and apple trees.

With the passing of Lucien his sons, Jean-Marie and François, came to run the domaine. They have maintained the property's reputation, mixing traditional practices with new, but in the absence of a willing heir Jean-Marie and François, together with their sisters, decided to put the property in the ownership of a family-run company.

This was done in 2000, and Daniel Ravier was appointed as manager of the 35 hectare estate. Today it is Ravier that you are most likely to encounter, whether he is traveling abroad to market the wines, or working at the domaine. He continues to manage the vineyards, which range in age from 20 to 50 years, along straightforward organic lines, without fertilizer or other chemicals. The soil is ploughed to discourage weeds, and there is a green harvest to control yields which are typically 30-35 hl/ha.

The harvest is 100% manual and the fruit is fully destemmed before temperature-controlled fermentation. The reds are fermented in steel or today possibly also in concrete, these latter vats having been installed in 2007. The wines will macerate in vat and undergo malolactic and blending in tank, before spending 18-20 months in large foudres of varying size and also material, with some oak sourced from as far away as Austria. The end results, bottled without filtration or fining, are wines of interest which are, at all levels, worthy of bottle age. obtained from www.thewinedoctor.com

2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé (France, Provence, Bandol)
Orange rind, wild strawberry, minerals and salty sea breeze aromas jump from the glass of the 2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and in the mouth, it has beautiful freshness paired with sweet fruit, a round, full texture and a long finish. While this doesn’t show the fruit of the ‘07, it’s a fantastic Rosé to drink over the next year or two. (91 pts.) The Rhone Report

2007 Westwood 4-Part Rose, Sonoma Valley

A dry pink wine that is called 4-Part Rosé, produced from saignée de cuvee of our Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise and Syrah grapes.

John M. Kelly, Sonoma - Trained as a biochemist, he has been professionally active in the wine industry since 1986. He started as the Westwood Winery winemaker and general manager in 1994, and became an owner/partner of the Annadel Estate Vineyard in 1998.

Varietal: 51%Grenache, 27%mourvedre, 13% Counoise, 10% Syrah
Case production: 48 cases
Body: medium
Color: salmon pink
Aromas: strawberry, rhubarb, lemon, melon, hints of white pepper and spice

From the website: Counoise, part of this blend, is usually seen as a blending grape in Rhone. It is used primarily for its high acidity and spice and pepper aromas. The 4 part rose is made in the saigneé method which involves bleeding off a portion of red wine after a short amount of contact with the must. John Kelly, winemaker and owner, boasts that this wine is extremely versatile with food and has the capacity to age.

There is a unique combination of soils and exposures at Annadel Estate Vineyards. Because of the diversity of soils and meso-climates at the site they decided to expand the range of wines offered under the Westwood label. In the warmer terroirs we planted an unusual selection of red Rhône varieties: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Counoise.

Westwood Winery was among the first vineyards to purchase California-certified Chateau Beaucastel budwood from Tablas Creek nursery, including two clones of Grenache, as well as Mourvedre and Counoise (a virtually unknown red grape approved for the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation). All of these Rhone varietals, particularly the late-ripening Mourvedre, are planted in the warmer upslope areas of the vineyard on the weaker, shallower soils.

Good words: The 2007 Annadel Estate 4-Part Rosé is barrel-fermented dry in the manner of Chardonnay, making an unusually rich and complex rosé with notes of toast. James Knight, North Bay Bohemian

In 1998, Kelly formed a new partnership and purchased a 37-acre parcel at the northwest end of the Sonoma Valley, starting Westwood’s shift to a Sonoma Valley brand. With the 2000 vintage, he began sourcing fruit from that area, and in 2002 Kelly finally assumed the winery’s ownership. Westwood’s production moved from Shingle Springs to just south of Sonoma in 2005, near the then-newly-opened Tasting Salon, and the first wines from Westwood’s own Annadel Estate Vineyard were produced later that same year.Westwood produces 750 to 2000 cases annually. Kelly matter-of-factly states that he’s “producing a living thing, not a beverage. The wine has to be what it’s going to be. I don’t let my philosophy get in the way of good winemaking. I do as the situation dictates.” He prides himself on the fact that “no matter when you open [a bottle of Westwood], you will be happy with it,” believing that “a wine’s got to taste good when it’s young to taste good when it’s old.” by Brittany Cohen winecountrythisweek.com

Eat with: grilled rabbit roulade, carrot purée, haricot verts, baby carrots, roasted shallots & thyme jus

Website: http://www.westwoodwine.com/

2008 Maison Bouachon, Le Rouviere, Tavel

The name “La Rouvière” comes from the Provencal word “Rouve” meaning a little stream. The Maison Bouachon “La Rouvière” is one of the best representatives Rosé in the appellation. This Tavel is made from both white and red grapes, all of which are carefully picked and sorted, vinified separately, and then blended for the final product.

The vineyard is planted in a sunny area and exposed to the ‘mistral’. Vines are planted on two kinds of soil, the first is covered by Lauzes (white limestone), and the other one is clay covered by round quartzite stones. Clay permits a slow and regular restitution of useful water for grape berries elaboration.

The processing consists in selection of parcels: old Grenache (70 years old) and others younger (30-40 years old), best exposures, low yields. Grapes are harvested by hand and rigorously sorted out. Each grape variety is vinified separately after total de-stemming. Berries macerate 12 to 24 hours for an optimum extraction of aroma and color. The alcoholic fermentation keeps going from 8 to 10 days with slow temperature (between 18 to 20 degrees).

Varietals: 50% Grenache, 15% Bourboulanc, 10% Cinsault, Carignane, Clairette

Body: light to medium
Color: raspberry pink
Aromas: raspberry, red currant, pink grapefruit, white flower

From their website: In 1898 Maison Bouachon the winery was born. This family started out as barrel makers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape before deciding to actually fill the barrels with wine.

During the first half of the 20th century, Maison Bouachon was immersed in the viticultural tradition of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Over time, the Maison became familiar with the diversity of regional vines and terroirs while establishing strong ties with local winegrowers. Having gained a foothold in the region, Maison Bouachon continued developing its winemaking skill with the acquisition of barrel chais during the 50s: this included mastering the vinification process as well as perfecting the delicate art of blending and the aging.

Good words: “France has a long tradition of rosé, particularly in the south. The southern Rhone even has an appellation devoted to rosé: Tavel. A good example is the 2008 Maison Bouachon "La Rouviere" Tavel, with its bright raspberry and cranberry flavors and hints of watermelon and white pepper. By Laurie Daniel for the Mercury News 06/09

Eat with: duck confit, garlic & parsley roasted French fingerling potatoes, frisée salad

Website: http://www.maisonbouachon.com/

2008 Bedrock "Ode to Lulu" Mourvedre Rose, Sonoma Valley

The grapes were originally planted in 1888 in Sonoma Valley. The winemaker worked for Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier and made this in her honor. It is juicy and crisp enough to drink on its own but substantial weight and complexity of flavors make it delicious with food. This is a very dry rose with some serious body and weight to stand up to different dishes.

Aromas: dusty raspberry
Body: medium
Color: coral

An Essay from the Bedrock website: “The Importance of Rosé; Rose’ is a wine I drink as much for pure pleasure as for intellectual stimulation. In the warmer months there is something sacred about a late afternoon meal of cold chicken, fresh garden tomatoes, and rose’. It is one body in the sacred trilogy of rustic simplicity.

Proper rose’ is refreshing, life-nourishing stuff that revives the soul, much the same way that dark, smoky, red wines replete with rich fruits replenish and warm in the depleting months of winter.
However, anything equivalent to the delicately colored roses I adore from Bandol and Provence are hard to come by from the New World. Too often, the economic-ease of bleeding off some juice from grapes picked for red wine, is used as the guiding philosophy for making pink wine. The results are often times horrendous. The juice, picked at high potential alcohols, lacks the vivaciousness of fruit and brightness of good rose’. Frequently, high levels of residual sugar are left in to cover-up a lack of character.

Rose’, in my opinion, should bear a closer resemblance to white wine than to red.

It is for this reason that I pick at potential alcohols lower on the scale where brightness and lift still exist. This is not to say that fruit does not matter—I use Mourvedre from a block planted over 120 years ago for requisite concentration of complexity of flavor—but like fine champagne, the wonders of rose’ lie in its unbearable lightness of being.” Morgan Twain-Peterson

Bedrock Wine Co.’s first rosé is an homage to the great lady of Bandol—Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier. I have attempted to craft a wine of noble breeding—a serious rose’ for the not so serious trivialities of the warm months of the year when nothing else satisfies quite as much.

The wine is made from 100% Mourvedre grapes sourced from a block originally planted in 1888 at my family’s Bedrock Vineyards in Sonoma Valley. Picked at 23.8 brix (white wine levels), this wine was crushed and placed directly into the press. There, it macerated for several hours, picking up the delicate coral color it has today. It was then fermented very cold in stainless steel tank and let lie sur-lie for three months prior to racking and bottling. This wine is all about delicate red fruits, snappy flavors, and the classic forest floor spiciness of the terrestrial Mourvedre.

Eat with: duck confit, one leg, garlic & parsley roasted French fingerling potatoes, frisée salad

http://www.bedrockwineco.com/

A Great Read: http://blog.bedrockwineco.com/2007/08/16/crush-a-childhood-in-the-california-wine-industry/

Chateau de Lascaux

Chateau Lascaux was founded by Jean-Benoit Cavalier in 1984. Cavalier planted small vineyard plots in the gravelly soil that is separated here and there by swaths of bay trees, herb gardens, green oaks, and pines. Cavalier feels that the herbs add an interesting complexity of flavors and scents to his wines. Sheltered by the mountains from most of the cold from the north, but at an elevation where nights and occasionally breezes are cool, Cavalier found what he considers to be an ideal Mediterranean climate. The winery is currently undergoing a major transformation in their vineyard practices and moving towards biological farming since September 2006. The grapes continue to be manually picked and table sorted.

Chateau de Lascaux is located in the Languedoc Region of France near the town of Vacquieres. To the extreme north are the "Hills of the Languedoc" and at the foot of the Hills is the Cevennes limestone plateau, where the Castle of Lascaux spreads over 45 hectares.


The 2007 rosé is a blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 10% Mourvedre. The wine is aged for seven months before bottling. The color is like pale pink petals in the glass. The nose suggests anise, peach, cherry, and black currant. It is gentle and floral with a hint of spice. The flavor is full of young berries, wild thyme and a touch of anise. This wine has a medium finish with a creamy mouth-feel, with a final note a bit like menthol or anise again.

2007 Bugay Long Stem Rosé

Long Stem Rosé is made by the Garrett-Watkins winemaking team for John and Reta Bugay of Bugay Wines & Vineyards in Sonoma County. This amazing Rose is a 99% Syrah and just the slightest bit of Mourvedre. The alcohol level is 13.7% and the production is extremely limited at 265 cases.

The vineyards rest in the Mayacama Mountains amongst the hillside meadows. Only 40 of the 200 acres of the wooded parcel were planted with grapes. The family intended for the rest of the acreage to remain with nature. The 1200 foot elevation and the south-facing slope contribute to the overall terroir of the vineyards. The soil composition is made up of volcanic - rocky ash. The well-drained hillsides require vigorous root-stock to penetrate deep into these complex, mineral rich soils.

The use of a Bandol yeast in the winemaking process imparts a delicious Provencal nuance to this wine. The nose is crisp, pure and aromatic, and the flavors are a balanced blend of berries, fresh-cut strawberry, ruby-red grapefruit and refreshing citrus with a long finish.

“We believe the potential to make great wine must originate in the vineyard. Our most important role is to be mindful custodians of our extraordinary vineyards and surrounding habitat while insuring notability in our wines.” John & Reta Bugay, Proprietors

Pretty in Pink

While most people think of rosé as a basic “blush” wine, there is another drier side to pink wine that deserves to be explored. “Blush” is a term that is generally used to describe the sugary, mass-produced pink wines in North America, which are taken considerably less serious than other wines. While these sweet pink wines have caused many people to turn their cheek even to the idea of rosé wines, the dry rosés display a sophisticated series of flavors with a versatile food pairing potential, and also carry with them an intriguing story of how they are produced.

The production of a rosé can most commonly occur in one of two ways. One process, called maceration, is used when rosé is the primary wine being produced, and requires that the skins of crushed red grapes have contact with their juices for only a short amount of time during the fermentation process. This gives the wine its pink hue while removing the harsh tannins that you would otherwise find in red wines, where the skins remain present throughout fermentation.
The second process known as bleeding, or “saignée,” takes place when a rosé wine is cre-ated as a byproduct of a red wine by “bleeding the vats.” In this process, the winemaker removes lightly colored grape juice from the freshly pressed grapes at an early stage in the fermentation of a red wine. This process allows for the initial red wine to intensify in flavor, while also creating a lighter rosé wine from powerfully flavored grapes. Because of the tart acidity that the tannins attribute to the wine, the length of time that the grape skins are allowed contact with its juices in either method of production determines the hue and flavor intensity of the final product.

Just as important to the final flavor of the wine is the varietal used to produce it. An array of different grapes is used in various wine growing regions around the world, and each varietal brings its own unique characteristics to the blend. Grenache and Mourvèdre are common varietals used in France and usually present flavors of berries and citrus, while the Garnacha and Tempranillo varietals common in Spain also include a mineral flavor, and Sangiovese in Italy contains that of floral. Many rosé wines from America are made from the classic Rhône varietals such as Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah and consist mainly of the lighter and sweeter berry flavors. Its aromas are similar to its taste and usually include light floral scents, red berries and fruit. Generally, rosé wines are the perfect blend of a light, refreshing and delicate white wine with the tart berry flavors of a red.

Rosé wines have the best of both worlds with a balanced mix of qual
ities of both red and white wines. The presence of low to mild tannins and a low acidity level and alcohol content allows for pairings with both the heavier, high protein dishes that would commonly be paired with reds and the lighter more delicate dishes that would be paired with whites. This summertime wine is frequently paired with meats and vegetables just off the grill, and is also a great accompaniment to salads and greens, poultry, seafood, and spicy dishes. Served chilled, rosé is truly versatile and can be perfectly paired with almost anything.

Delicate, flavorfully sweet and beautifully balanced, rosé wines are a budding favorite among wine drinkers, and are becoming increasingly more recognized as a wine worthy of drinking regularly. With a sophisticated range of flavors, intricate means of production and versatile potential, rosé wines present an exciting alternative to the wine drinker as a subtle, refreshing and innovative wine.

- Jennifer Worsham


The above cartoon is used with permission from artist Ric Erickson from Metropole Paris, http://www.metropoleparis.com/

Espelt 2007 Corali

The Espelt bodega cultivates the most extensive and innovative vineyard in Empordá. Espelt opened its winery in 2000, situated in the North of Catalonia, not far from the famous El Bulli Restaurant.

Empordá is a specific DO in Spain that is becoming more well known because of the fine wines being produced and the interesting landscape. Espelt uses a large variety of different grapes (16 types) all farmed and harvested with a biodynamic cultivation. The vineyard soil is mostly sand and porous granite, which in turn provides some mineral nuances expressed in the wine.

The 2007 Corali Rosé illuminates its bright pink color, with hints of coral. The aroma is intense and smooth with ripe red fruits and the initial taste is silky and smooth, with a fine balance, that is maintained in mid-palate with a long, bright finish. The Wine Advocate gave this wine a rating of 90 points in February.

Grapes: 100% Garancha, Soil: Granite, Sandy, Production: 750 cases, Alcohol: 13%