Château de Manicy Tavel Cuvée des Lys 2020, 14%, $ 20
The dark and powerful rosé of Tabel in the valley of southern Rhone is not a bite for everyone. A meal is better than a waterside apéritif. However, this bottle is an excellent example of a dark and powerful rosé style that was once popular but a little lost in today’s pale rosé world. This pale Maraschino wine is 60% Grenache, 30% Clairette and 10% Schiller. It is dry, with fruit and floral flavors and plenty of minerality. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA)
Fabien Jouves Vinde France RoséÀ Table !!! 2021, 12 percent, $ 23
Fabien Jouves makes some of my favorite Cahors wines under the Masdel Périé label. He, in his own name, produces a variety of natural wines such as À Table !!!. This is basically an invitation to come to eat that you want to do with this Dark Rose. Made from Cahors grape Malbec and two other grapes common in southwestern France, Tana and Merlot, all grown by biodynamic agriculture. Fresh, delicious and complex, with the rustic aromas and flavors of red fruits and flowers. (Zev Rovine Selections, Brooklyn, New York)
At the loca Clàssic Penedès Rosat Reserva 2018, 12%, $ 23
AT Roca produces excellent sparkling wines in Catalonia. This is a wine that was collectively called hippo until many of the best producers stopped using the term, being wary of the implications of mass production. Roca instead Clàssic PenedèsIdentification of sparkling wines with strict regulations, including requirements for organic viticulture. This rosé (Rosé’s Spanish for Rosad’s Catalan) is made like champagne and is fermented a second time in a bottle. Extremely dry, floral, and very refreshing. (José Pastor Selections / Llaurador Wines, Fairfax, CA)