Wine with Leslie: Hurray for rosé and the start of summer
Dry, tart rosé is the perfect match for the punchy garlic and olive and caper flavours of Provence as few white wines can cut through and assert themselves
The May Bank holiday is the official start of summer so it’s time to start thinking about Rosé. That Scottish saying ‘cast ne’re a clout ‘til May is out’ might be lingering in your head but buck up, dust off the barbecue and make some proper Provençal Aïoli or a Salad Niçoise this weekend and eat it in the garden.
Dry, tart rosé is the perfect match for the punchy garlic and olive and caper flavours of Provence as few white wines can cut through and assert themselves. The best Aïoli recipe I know is from written by the matriarch of Domaine Tempier, that great wine estate of Bandol. It uses a whole head of garlic for 500ml of olive oil and is best made in a pestle and mortar (just make sure to add the oil to the garlic and egg yolks as the thinnest stream possible).
Dom. Tempier is still available, having moved to Vinostito once Karwigs Carrigaline closed up — you will find it on Wineonline.ie and from Mitchells. Domaine Tempier Rouge (and the much coveted single vineyard versions La Migua and La Tourtine) are always in my wine cupboard and Dom. Tempier Rosé really is a thing of beauty and profundity — capable of ageing for up to a decade, and I promise to review the current vintage before the end of summer once I track a bottle down.
Wine selections this week are all Rosé and include a trio from the O’Brien’s Rosé promotion which began last week and continues until the end of August. O’Brien’s really do put their back into pushing Rosé and deserve credit for giving the category proper respect. Besides the wines here I could have included the third vintage of Rós (€12.71) from Navarre which is made by O’Brien’s Director of Wine Lynne Coyle, or the Frappato Sicilian Spumante (€17.95) which is new in the range.
I also include a Roussillon Rosé that I first mentioned a few years ago plus a Rosé Champagne from the underrated house of Ayala. Rosé Champagne is a category that has seen huge growth in recent years among both male and female consumers, the extra weight and hit of red fruits really do make this the perfect wine for sipping in the garden — Charles Heidsieck does a gorgeous one; Krug’s Rosé can almost justify its hefty price tag; and from the big houses such as Veuve Clicquot and Möet I always opt for their Rosé.
From French-Irish producers Laurent and Nessa Miquel in the Languedoc, this bargain of a rosé is named for their daughter Alaina (the label references her love of making ripples in ponds) and is even a little cheaper in this year’s Rosé promotion.
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault - floral, strawberry aromas, fruity and textured with good weight and lively crisp red apple acidity on the finish.
Bertrand could be called a superstar winemaker at this stage and this is a pleasing blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from vineyards near Narbonne within sight (well almost) of the Mediterranean Sea.
In a gorgeous bottle that might be worth keeping as a water carafe, this pours a pleasing pale pink with light berry fruit aromas mixed with yellow peach — rounded and fruity on the palate but with a dry slightly saline finish.
This is reduced from €19.95 and from vineyards at a bit of altitude — 200 metres above and 25km inland from the sea in the foothill of the Maures mountains above the French Riviera.
Pale salmon pink with a hint of orange, citrus and ozone notes on the nose, fruity and light with pleasing lime and lemon zing on the palate and a pleasing lingering tangy finish.
Domaine Houchart is from the hilltop village of Puyloubier near Aix-en-Provence, picture-postcard Provence.
This pours pale, almost onion-skin with rose petal and strawberry fruit aromas and a hint of red apple, more strawberries on first sip with a bang of red currant on the mid-palate: pleasing texture and weight and a dry clean finish. The Houchart Rouge and Blanc are also worth investigating.
Provence might have the prettiest coastline but there are parts of Roussillon that can absolutely compete.
Another attractive bottle to enhance your table setting and a wine that lives up to its packaging — pale pink hue, aromas of red fruits with a background of white peach, textured, lively and crisp with some textures to keep you interested and a clean citrus finish.
Ayala is the sister house to Bollinger and is Chardonnay focused. Chef de Cave, Caroline Latrive, generally opts for lower dosage (7g here), and likes to keep her wines fresh and vibrant.
This has 6% red wine to bring out the colour and has berry fruit aromas with a touch of brioche, streams of tiny bubbles, and a silky rounded palate perfect for summer.
Sticking with the summer theme mentioned in the wine column above, I may have found the perfect summer beer. Hopfully Brewing has appeared here before for its Boo sour and a single hop ale and I confess I also love their aesthetically pleasing designs.
Graciosa is made with a mix of Pilsner, Pale, Vienna and Dextrin malts and with a healthy dose of Citra and Chinook Hops. This pours a light, hazy gold with aromas of grapefruit, citrus oil and tropical fruits — fruity and lively on the palate with apple peel tartness, bracing hop bitterness and a lemon peel finish. Deliciosa Graciosa!
