B.C. rosés to sip for summer
Just when I think I’ve seen the last of them, the 2017 British Columbian rosés are still being released at a fast and furious pace. This guy’s not complaining! We’re officially into summer, they’re so food-friendly, and each offers solid bang for your buck.
This week, an affable quartet that can be ordered winery-direct or found in private wine stores around town for a couple more bucks; hit up each winery’s website for details.
BARTIER BROS. ROSÉ 2017
($17.99, www.bartierbros.com/) A lovely salmon, peachy hue makes the wine quite inviting off the bat. The colour comes to it via an interesting mix of 40 percent Chardonnay, 31 percent Gewürztraminer, 18 percent Muscat Ottonel, and 11 percent Cabernet Franc. Aromatics offer a stroll through a sunny strawberry patch, getting things all set up for a mouthful of fresh raspberries, a slice each of mango and pink grapefruit, and a few Rainier cherries, finishing off with a zippy grip of orange rind. It’s fresh and cheery and ends quite dry. I wouldn’t put any overly spicy food with it, but when it comes to scallop ceviche, creamy pastas, or fried chicken? Giddyap!
CLOS DU SOLEIL ROSÉ 2017
($21.90, www.closdusoleil.ca/) This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and what
I love about it is it actually tastes like those varieties. I often find that a lot of pink wines out there, from anywhere in the world, taste of berries and not much else, hardly expressing varietal character. In this case, there’s a fresh load of zesty red currants and red bell peppers, lifted by tomato leaf and eucalyptus, with plenty of juicy acidity keeping all of it aloft. A good dose of classic Similkameen Valley minerality adds a fine
layer of complexity. There’s enough oomph here to pair it with anything that may call for a big red: think sirloin steak, hamburgers, and other carnivorous fare.
HESTER CREEK ROSÉ CABERNET
FRANC 2017 ($19.95, www.hestercreek.com/) Hooray, hooray, it’s more Cabernet! A good 48-hour cold soak with the skins gave this wine a charming pink hue and a touch of brick-red colour around the edges. That eucalyptus note that’s synonymous with Cabernet Franc is nice and showy, while the fruit is bright red and juicy with Bing cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and even a lick of red licorice. It’s a softer style of pink, and the fruit is rather perfumed, with gentle acidity. It comes out carrying about 10 grams per litre of residual sugar, which doesn’t necessarily make it particularly sweet, but it ain’t bone-dry, either. Here, you can feel free to go with something spicy, from Thai curries to pizza with chilis and pepperoni.
CULMINA SAIGNÉE 2017 ($24, www.culmina.ca/) This brilliant outing from the Triggs family’s Oliver estate is drop-dead gorgeous. The wine can be thought of as the pink sibling to Hypothesis, their flagship red Bordeaux-style blend. The method of making this wine is called saignée (giving the wine’s moniker an eponymous bent). It’s a simple process, really: it is made as red wine is being vinified—in this case, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc that will eventually be released as the 2017 Hypothesis. After a few hours of skin contact, some of the fresh juice was then bled off, with that short amount of time lending it a light, rosy colour. It was then fermented in a stainless-steel tank and casks.
Another benefit, besides ending up with a lovely pink wine, is that the eventual red wine will have a little extra intensity since some of that initial liquid has been removed. But we’re here to talk about the pink wine, and it’s a winner.
Swirl it in the glass and note the orange blossoms and jasmine wafting your way. They set the scene for fresh peaches, pomelo, and blackberries, with later sips bringing more citruslike pink grapefruit and key lime. The dry finish has the tiniest spot of honey, a pinch of white pepper, and a rub of wild sage. Serve it with too much of a chill, and those notes will be muted. Pull it out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving, and they’ll be all bright and shiny. Also, don’t go with any heavily sauced or spiced food. It’s cheery and complex enough to be all you need to complement simple grilled salmon brushed with butter and light herbs, or roasted chicken done with white wine and a little garlic.
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