Sommelier’s picks
JOSEP PRATS General manager at Coppa Osteria in Rice Village
Background: Prats got his start in the hospitality industry in Mexico City 18 years ago and has been plying his trade in Houston since 2006, first at Carrabba’s before quickly expanding his horizons with input from Rosie Carrabba herself.
What: 2015 Il Poggione “Brancato Rosato” Sangiovese from Montalcino
Why: Although Prats notes that sangiovese is hardly the most common grape varietal used to produce rosé, he says “few turn out as perfect” as this one from Alessandro Bindocci’s famous estate in Sant’Angelo in Colle, Tuscany. He says the Il Poggione rosé “keeps the integrity of the grape intact while allowing it to be enjoyed early in it its life. Sangiovese is a grape that needs time in the vineyard and also in cellar, so discovering a rosé that finds a balance of the two is a perfect fit for our restaurant. The wine, which is high in acidity and offers a straight strawberry flavor profile, evolves while it sits in the glass, showing the caliber of the winemaking. Although it requires a little bit of patience, it will certainly surprise (and reward) you after a few minutes.”
Price: $34 for a bottle at Coppa Osteria, 5210 SHAWN VIRENE General manager at Brasserie 19 in River Oaks Shopping Center
Background: Virene has been a major player in the Houston restaurant scene for approaching two decades, having first worked for Clark and Cooper at Ibiza before moving over to open Brasserie 19 in 2011.
What: 2015 Domaine Rimauresq Cru Classé Rosé, Cotes de Provence
Why: Virene admits he wrestled hard over several personal yearin-and-year-out favorites — Domaine du Bagnol from Cassis, Domaine de Mourchon from Séguret, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Cotes-deProvence Miraval were his other finalists — before choosing the Rimauresq from the Var, in the heart of Cotes-de-Provence country. Why? Because, he said, it’s “vibrant and mineral-driven with red berry and citrus fruit aromas, very good clarity and a touch of jasmine. Lively and precise on the palate, it offers tightly focused strawberry and blood orange flavors that flesh out. Dry, steely and pure on the finish, it leaves behind a smooth floral note.”
Price: $30 for a bottle, 1962 W. Gray