The Date and Time: Friday, March 28, 2014
The Event: a tasting of new and older rose wines available in Ontario.
The Venue: LCBO Summerhill Scrivener Square Private Tasting Room
The Target Audience: Wine Writers' Circle of Canada members, 13 in attendance at self-pour tables.
The Availability/Catalogue: WWCC had assembled some 70 rose wines in play in the Ontario marketplace. About a quarter were sparkling, the balance were Ontario or imported still wines, and others were sweet.
The Quote/Background: WWCC tries to highlight category wines three times a year (usually rose, sparkling, and fortified). This tasting was assembled just ahead of Easter, Mother's Day, graduation days, and summer.
The Wines: I tasted most of the wines, and the notes below reflect only my opinions. I do not speak for the 13 WWCC members that attended.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Jackson-Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Sparkling 2010 Methode Classique 234161 $22.95 Constellation [my fave of the tasting, based on QPR=94]
-Champagne Taittinger Prestige Rose NV 83.95 993113 Champagne Family Wine Merchants
-Cono Sur Sparkling Rose NV 13.95 365205 Bio Bio Valley Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants
-Château des Charmes Rosé sparkling Méthode Traditionelle 2011 $28.95 78055 Niagara-on-the-Lake
-Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Rose Brut NV 29.95 217505 Niagara
-Graham Beck Brut Rosé Methode Cap Classique NV 19.95 175588 Western Cape -Cuvage s.r.l. Viticolotori Acquesi Brachetto d'Acqui D.O.C.G. Sparkling Rose NV $13.95 375667 Piedmont Select Wines & Spirits
-Union Wines Union Rose 2013 $13.95 275685 Niagara Peninsula Von Terra -Malivoire Moira Rose 2013 $21.95 Beamsville Bench
-GreenLane Estate Winery Rosé 2012 $15.95 Lincoln Lakeshore
-Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry Pink 2013 13.95 171033 Niagara Peninsula
-Henry of Pelham Rose 2013 12.95 613471 Niagara Peninsula Henry of Pelham,
-SA Ackerman Remy Pannier Rose d'Anjou 2012 12.95 12641 Loire Eurovintage -ANGELS GATE WINERY ARCHANGEL PINOT NOIR ROSE 2009 25 203034 NIAGARA
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Calamus Estate Winery StarStruck 2011 $26.95 Niagara winery
-Calamus Estate Winery 125 Rosé 2012 12.7 Niagara winery
-Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir Rose 2013 $16.95 39974 Niagara Peninsula
-Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose NV 57.95 267039 Champagne Lifford -Henry of Pelham Pink House Wine Company 2013 $12.95 324558 Niagara -Konzelmann Estate Winery Method Cuve Close - Rose 2010 16.2 184176
-Codorniu Codorniu Seleccion Raventos Pinot Noir NV 15.95 370080 Penedes
-Diamond Estates Winery Fresh Sparkling Rosé $13.95 2012 341347 Niagara
-Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Rose Brut NV 13 277202 Veneto
-Bisol Jeio Cuvee Rose NV $13.95 325703 Veneto Symposium -Creekside Estate Cabernet Rose 2013 $15.95 48819 Niagara
-Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvee Rose 2012 $21.95 280172 Pinot Noir Marlborough
-Miguel Torres Chile Santa Digna Estelado Rose Sparkling NV $19.95 31766
-Ogier Cotes du Ventoux Rose 2012 10.95 134916 Rhone
-Château des Charmes Cuvée d'Andrée Rosé 2013 $14.95 333260 Niagara-on-the-Lake
-Bastianich Rosato di Refosco Spumante 2012 18.95 Cons The Vine
-Bodega Norton Malbec Rosado 2013 $10.95 #0367110 Mendoza
-Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir Rose 2013 $9.95 318014 Bio Bio Valley
-Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Shiraz Rose 2013 11.95 614016 Central Valley
-Cave Spring Cellars Rosé 2012 $14.95 295006 Niagara Peninsula
-Malivoire Ladybug Rose 2013 $15.95 559088 Niagara Peninsula
-Featherstone Winery Rose 2013 14.95 117861 20 Mile Bench
-Peninsula Ridge Top Bench Rose VQA 2013 11.95 #324541 Lastiwka Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench
-Rockway Vineyards Patio 9 Pink Spritz 2012 $12.95 323766 Ontario
*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Soljans Estate Fusion Sparkling Rose NV $21.75 Kumeu NZ Glen Ward Wines
-Fresita Fresita NV $13.95 138388 Churchill Cellars
-Bernard Massard GmbH Cuvée de l'Ecusson Brut Rosé Methode Traditionelle N/V $19.95 369074 Luxembourg hhdimports
-Julian Chivite Gran Feudo Rosado 2012 11.95 165845 Navarra Churchill
-Masi Rosa dei Masi 2013 15 377267 Venetian Authentic Wine & Spirits -Sophora Sophora Sparking Rose NV $19.95 353664 Gisborne & Hawkes Bay
-John Howard Cellars of Distinction Bubblehead 2011 28.95 363655 Niagara
-Alliance Loire De Chanceny' Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé NV 18.8 211466
-Sandbanks Winery Rosé 2012 12.95 244616 Ontario
-Di Profio Wines Gamay Rosé 2012 $15.70 n/a Niagara Carollynn Desjardins
-REIF ESTATE WINERY CABERNET ROSE 2012 $12.95 372466
-Pelee Island Winery Pelee Pink 2012 $10.75 529354
-Rosehall Run Pixie Sparkling Rose 2012 17.95 Ontario
-Tawse Winery Tawse Rose 2012 $15.95 N/A - Licensee only
-Diamond Estates Winery EastDell Summer Rosé 2012 $11.95 560243 Niagara
-Diamond Estates Winery Fresh Rosé 2011 $11.95 192633 Niagara
-Ridge Road Winery Rose 2013 $14.95 Niagara
-Kacaba Vineyards Rebecca Rose 2013 $14.95 227025 Niagara Escarpment
-John Howard Cellars of Distinction Pink Slip 2013 17.95 85126 Niagara
-Inniskillin Niagara Pinot Noir Rose 2013 14.95 988133 Niagara
-Emiliana Adobe Reserva Rose 2013 11.95 #274399 Rapel Valley
-Francis Ford Coppola Winery Sofia Rose 2013 19.95 284943 Monterey County Lifford
-Kim Crawford Pansy! Rosé 2013 $17.95 650325 Hawke's Bay
-Sandbanks Winery Love 2012 14.95 half-bottle 318394 Ontario [kir]
-MARTINI & ROSSI Martini Rose NV $13.95 125765 Piedmont & Veneto
The Food: none
The Downside: WWCC got a good response from Niagara. In the imported range there were only 11 still wines. While such wines were slated for early summer release (not late spring), samples were generally not available for media tastings. There were few wines from LENS and PEC.
The Upside: a chance to taste a range of sparkling rose wines as well
The Contact Person: deantudor@deantudor.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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