Mr. Golden Sun’s “rays” are brighter than ever, temperatures are once again hotter than last year’s, and the rosé “isn’t going to drink itself” (it might though).
As you’re all aware, each summer, we are contractually obliged to squeeze out an issue about the beloved pink zeus juice that TODAY’S YOUTH know and love.
In summers past, we’ve written about rosé as a whole (how it’s made, various regions, production methods, and styles), and we’ve “paid our respects” to the delicate, but “prestigious” rosé wines of Provence. This summer, we’ve mustered up every ounce of strength in our weak, weak little bodies to acknowledge the “pink wines” from yet another humble region in Southern France - the Rhône Valley.
The Rhône’s rosé lineup spans a broad stylistic spectrum, ranging from the easygoing, “easy drinking” charm of Côtes du Rhône Rosé, to the darker, more structured intensity of Tavel Rosé.
Côtes du Rhône
Most rosé production comes out of the Southern Rhône, where vineyards unfurl across a patchwork of clay, limestone, and fruity pebbles, basking under the “hot rays” of our ever-faithful aforementioned “friend,” Mr. Golden Sun. The “usual suspects” typically make their appearance in these blends: Grenache typically leads the charge, supported by Syrah, Cinsault, sometimes Mourvèdre, with the occasional inclusion of white grapes like Clairette or Picpoul for a little extra “charm.” Together, these typical grapes of the Southern Rhone form the classic Côtes du Rhône rosé profile—bright, fresh, and “crowd-pleasing,” with typical notes of strawberries, melon, citrus and dried herbs.
For previous posts on the white and red wines of Côtes du Rhône,clicky, clicky.
Located in the far southwestern edge of the Rhône Valley, Costières de Nîmes “distinguishes itself” from the other kids, making rosé wines often featuring more Syrah than most Southern Rhône rosés, which are typically driven by Grenache and Cinsault. The region’s distinctive mix of warm days, cooling Mediterranean breezes, and well-draining soils lined with “galets” (basically just big warm rocks) creates ideal conditions for ripe, “expressive fruit,” while preserving freshness and acidity. Syrah brings structure and depth, contributing darker berries, spice, and floral notes, while Grenache and Mourvèdre round out the blends with softness and red fruit tones. The resulting rosés are often vivid and complex, showing a wide range of profiles. Raspberry, cherry, violets, herbs, and mineral notes are common, but stylistic choices and differences in the blends can yield vastly different outcomes. These wines tend to be a bit more structured than Côtes du Rhône Rosé and can be deeper in color.
Tavel
Tavel is the “heavyweight” of Rhône rosé and proudly stands (LIKE ME!) as the region’s big, bold, dark pink outlier (ALSO LIKE ME!), known by literally everyone as “the king of rosés and the rosé of kings.”
Unlike the pale, delicate little rosés of Provence and Cotes du Rhone, Tavel wines are substantially darker in color, “firmer” in structure and often higher in alcohol. These wines “enjoy” extended “skin contact” (THE GOOD KIND!)—often between 12 and 48 hours—which gives them their striking salmon to “cherry pink” hue and a backbone of subtle, but perceptible tannin, almost nudging them into the “light red wine” category. As a result of its structure, Tavel Rosé is one of the few rosés that can “age gracefully,” developing rich, complex flavors like nuts and dried herbs over time.
DID YOU KNOW… Ernest Hemingway was a devoted fan of the uniquely bold and deeply colored Tavel wines from the Rhone, famously saying “he couldn't start lunch without a cold glass of it in one hand and a pen in the other” — hallmarks of both his dedication to the arts, and alcoholism.
The wines of Tavel are primarily made from Grenache and Cinsault, with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and even some cute little white varietals like Clairette and Bourboulenc sometimes blended in “just for fun.” Traditional winemaking practices such as combining saignée and press juice, create a rich and textured rosé with more body, intensity, and complexity “than any other rosé in the entire cosmos.” Tavel rosés often show characteristics like berries (THE RED KIND), blood orange, pepper, and wet stone, along with a rich mouthfeel in their youth.
Profile: Fresh strawberry, dragon fruit, orange peel, passion fruit, potpourri, yucca Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium body, long finish
Bright, juicy strawberry anchors this “expressive” rosé, with tropical and exotic flourishes like dragon fruit and passion fruit adding lift. Balanced and structured with a clean, tangy profile and medium+ acidity. Textural intrigue from subtle starchy notes like yucca make this a compelling nab at the price of 11 bones.
We tasted two vintages of this based on what the Total Wines in our multi-state locales had to offer, and they were quite different (though we each only tasted one, so our palates are a factor). SEE BELOW.
2023 Vintage:
Profile: Melon, strawberry, lemon rind, swimming pool, wet stone, orange creamsicle, chamomile, hint of chive Palate: Dry, medium body, medium acid, long finish
A crisp, pale salmon colored rosé with straightforward melon and red fruit flavors accented by lemon rind and wet stone. Hints of orange creamsicle and chive add a unique twist. A lift in the acidity would enhance the balance and freshness of this wine, but overall a solid, “easy-drinking,” somewhat generic rosé that won’t offend “most people.”
Profile: Lemon zest, sandalwood, wet chalk, strawberry, rose, warm flint Palate: Dry, medium body, medium- acid, short finish
Color-wise, the above description captures it. The aromatic profile has some overlap and is pleasant overall, but flavor-wise this wine was muted. The finish was notably short and the acidity distinctly lacking, leading to a mouthful of something hard to discern with a touch of turned fruit on the aftertaste. For $12, it’s not the biggest waste of money on the planet, but it won’t make a repeat buyer out of me.
Profile: Lemon peel, watermelon, orange creamsicle, fresh apricot, rose petal, pink peppercorn, brine Palate: Dry, medium body, medium- acid, high alcohol, short finish
Funnily enough, when Zach and I started sharing our tasting notes on the wines for this week’s post (since we live in different states, tastings are often done remotely and we’ll share the “burden” of tasting a variety of bottles) we were surprised to find a major overlap in notes. But they weren’t for the same wine - my notes for this bottle, a rosé with more age than most you’ll find on shelves, overlapped heavily with his notes on the 2023 Guy Mousset, even including some less conventional callouts, like “orange creamsicle”. This wine was “aromatically charming” with notes of citrus peel, apricot, and soft florals, but the acid is too low, giving the wine a bit of flat feel. The alcohol is also a touch high for a rosé (13.5%), so just bear that in mind if you find yourself a-guzzlin’. Pretty on the nose, but a little off-balance — might be better with less age.
Profile: Ripe strawberry, watermelon, cranberry, tangerine, grapefruit, walnuts, white pepper Palate: Dry, low tannin, medium+ body, medium+ acid, long finish
Vibrant, deep cherry-pink color with ripe red fruits, intense citrus notes with hints of walnut and white pepper adding depth. There’s also subtle, but clearly perceptible tannin, adding grip to the palate (THE GOOD KIND!) without too much weight. Really enjoyable, well balanced and unique wine.
Rhône rosés aren’t here to compete with your cellar picks; they’re here to keep things easy (LIKE ME!). Made from red wine grapes like Grenache and Syrah, they bring just enough structure and spice to keep things interesting. Not every bottle’s a stunner, but for summer drinking, we can slot ‘em into the rotation.
Yeah, Rose for Summer, bud break, harvest photos, odd moments sabering champagne, the life of the wine writer! That said, nice work on the Rhône rosé. Although I'm very impressed with all the accent and circumflex inclusion. Details matter.
At this stage in my rosé drinking days, I only want a Tavel from France. Everything else is falling short on flavor or uniqueness to me. They just taste the same after a while. I get the American consumers are super uneducated about rosé still, but eh. Kind of over French rosé. I still have to drink it to sell it year after year, but I think I officially hit the bored mark on many of them.
Yeah, Rose for Summer, bud break, harvest photos, odd moments sabering champagne, the life of the wine writer! That said, nice work on the Rhône rosé. Although I'm very impressed with all the accent and circumflex inclusion. Details matter.
At this stage in my rosé drinking days, I only want a Tavel from France. Everything else is falling short on flavor or uniqueness to me. They just taste the same after a while. I get the American consumers are super uneducated about rosé still, but eh. Kind of over French rosé. I still have to drink it to sell it year after year, but I think I officially hit the bored mark on many of them.