Summer of Rosé: Part II

With the undeniable resurgence in interest and production of Rosés this year, we decided to embark on a summer mission to find the most refreshing Rosés in the Napa Valley and beyond. In the final installment of this two-part blog (check out part one here), we, along with some special guests, share our thoughts on each wine. We promised you six wines, but we couldn't narrow it down, so you get nine! That's just how Verve rolls...

The Players

From the Verve team: T, Emma, Denae, Bill, and Rob.

A few special guests:

• Julie Webster, Hospitality Manager, Azur Wines
• Marilyn O'Connell, Wine Buyer, C Casa
• Deirdre Bourdet, Chief Eating Officer, Hedonism Ink 
• Drew Neiman, Owner, Neiman Cellars
• Karen and Dan Lynch, Owners, Inn on Randolph
• Lili Shariati, Sales & Hospitality, Kelly Fleming Wines
• Mike McDevitt, COO, HarperRand
• Ashley Kassis, CEO & Founder, Kassis Consulting
• Jen Giudice, Best friend of Ashley Kassis

The Accoutrements

• Fresh-picked nectarines, strawberries, and plums from the Verve HQ garden. Plus local cherries.
• Homemade meat dishes by Dierdre & Marilyn: Jambon Persillé, a regional specialty of Burgundy, is made of cured ham chunks and finely chopped fresh parsley and held together in an aspic made with white wine and aromatics like leeks or shallots, carrot, and celery. Fun fact: this dish is a personal favorite of winemaker Stéphane Vivier (Hyde de Villaine and Vivier Wines). A second dish was made of thinly sliced poached Fatted Calf pork with seasoned with ground fennel seeds, black pepper, and sea salt. Topped with Marilyn's homemade pickled radishes!
• Cheeses: Rochetta Three-Milk Alta Langha, Snowfields Butterkase Saxon Homestead Creamery, Caseificio dell'Alta Langa La Tur. Served with crackers, breadsticks, and olives. 

 

Azur, 2013

Layers of strawberry, watermelon, and peach on the palate. Notes of white flower and honeysuckle. Versatile and light — would do with everything. Light pink in color with copper hues. Unanimously praised by all!

Additional Notes: 750 cases produced. Varietal: 100% Syrah. Appellation: 60% Napa, 40% Sierra Foothills. 13% alcohol. Fermented dry.

Quote: "I love it just as much as the first time I had it."-T

Price Point: $28

Poe, 2013

Less fruit-forward than most, this reminds us of fresh young pear. Dry but elegant. Would be excellent for food pairings, and go especially well with seafood. 

Additional Notes: Sonoma County grapes. Blend of Old Vine Pinot Noir 66% & Pinot Meunier 34%. 11.5% alcohol.

Quote: "It's like savory herbs."-Deirdre

Price Point: $22

Miraval, 2013

Beautiful light pale pink color. Lovely floral nose with a delicate structure and vibrant finish. Soft aromas and complex flavors of raspberry and wild strawberry, wild herbs, citrus, and stone fruit.

Additional notes: Okay, so this one is not a CA wine…but come on, it's Brangelina! We were very curious about Miraval, as it is a joint venture between Provence-based Famille Perrin and Hollywood heavy-hitters, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. 13% alcohol.

Quote: "I have a hard time drinking this without thinking about Brad Pitt's smile…"-Mike

Price Point: $24

Villa Ragazzi Rosato di Sangiovese, 2013

Spicy, red fruit characters, clean and bright finish. Quite a bit of oak on the palate with a buttered popcorn essence. Only 35 cases produced.

Additional Notes: 13.2% alcohol.

Quote: "Very aromatic."-Ashley

Price Point: $21

B.Kosuge

Lower in sugar and higher in acidity than many we tried. Interesting oak inclusion, and well-balanced. Just 61 cases were made — they're now sold out!

Additional Notes: 13% alcohol. Pinot Noir.

Quote: "An unusual oaked Rosé. Very nice."-Rob

Price Point: $20

Kelly Fleming, 2013

Fruity, with notes of blackberry and citrus. Has the aroma of strawberries, and a beautiful salmon color. Grape jelly finish. Sheer perfection for a steamy summer day!

Additional Notes: 13% alcohol. This wine is very unique because the varietal is Grignolino — Heitz's Grignolino vineyard is the only one left in Napa!

Quote: "It's dry, yet has a refreshing fruity finish."-Emma

Price Point: $22

Heitz Cellars, 2013

Fruity, with notes of blackberry and citrus. Has the aroma of strawberries, and a beautiful salmon color. Grape jelly finish. Sheer perfection for a steamy summer day!

Additional Notes: 13% alcohol. This wine is very unique because the varietal is Grignolino — Heitz's Grignolino vineyard is the only one left in Napa!

Quote: "It's dry, yet has a refreshing fruity finish."-Emma

Price Point: $22

Sullivan Pink Ink, 2013

Herbal and more complex in flavors than many Rosés. Peppery finish. Crowd pleaser, all-around.

Additional Notes: 80% Merlot, 20% Cab.

Quote: "This wine is intensely savory."-Julie

Price Point: $22

Petroni Rosato di Sonoma, 2012

Vibrant and dark pink in color. Sweet with a generous, round palate. Red berries on the nose, and notes of rose blossom and vanilla.

Additional Notes: Estate grown organically. 14.5% alcohol. 50% Sangiovese, 25% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Quote: "It's a beautiful wine."-Denae

Price Point: $14

And Finally, Some Dessert...

We were spoiled with delicious Napa Pops popsicles! With flavors like Cucumber Honeydew and Sauvignon Blanc, how can you go wrong?

Flavors: Cucumber Honeydew, Mojito, and Sauvignon Blanc

"The Mojito is well-balanced with enough spiciness to know there's pepper in there without it being overwhelming."-Karen

"This Sauvignon Blanc popsicle is the first I've had in 40 years! It's a grown-up popsicle."-Bill

"Nice consistency. VERY cucumber and very authentic in flavor!"-Rob

Hope you enjoyed our Rosé journey! As always, we'd love to hear your feedback — feel free to leave us a comment below, or email us directly here.