2010 Charles & Charles Rosé Columbia Valley

It's 4 bzillion degrees out, I have no air conditioning, and I hereby proclaim it officially rosé weather. I will be drinking nothing else (including water) until the temperature goes below 85 degrees. This could be dangerous, but luckily for me, I won't care.

This Washington state rosé is made from 100% syrah, which is pretty much a recipe for happiness for me. The color is a fairly deep pink with hints of copper, though not nearly as deep as some Southern Rhone syrah rosés I've seen. You couldn't mistake this one for a pinot noir, let's put it that way. The aromas are heavenly, which is good because I spent a lot of time inhaling its aromas while mopping a glass of it off the floor. The Kong got away from the dog and disaster ensued. But now my glass is refilled, and I'm ready to see if these honeydew, lilac, and raspberry perfumes carry over to the palate.

Oh, yes. Raspberries and cream on the palate, with the floral aromas carrying through the finish. The texture is smooth, with just a whisper of tannin. The alcohol and acidity are balanced and in control. The only somewhat unpleasant element is a growing bitterness on the finish, that threatens to overpower the fruit. But all in all, a great wine to sip when the temperature outside - or inside, in my case - is unbearable. It'll cool you off, and you'll enjoy the process.

Vintage: 2010
Grape: Syrah
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Price: $13

2009 Le Fraghe Bardolino Chiaretto Rodòn

So, it's not technically rose season. Not that wines really have a season, but I always think of rose as a hot weather thing. But this one called my name, and I thought it would pair delicously with the chicken and olive vinaigrette I'm planning for dinner tonight. I must begin by emphasizing the fact that not all rose is a blush wine, a la Beringer or Riunite. It doesn't have to be sweet, and it doesn't have to be...nasty.  In fact, I love rose.  Roses just have a bad reputation, much like pitbulls, as a result of people mistreating them.

I'm not entirely sure what the blend of grapes is in this particular wine. Bardolino is the appellation, and also the type of wine (called Bardolino Chiaretto in the case of roses), but the grapes can be a blend of several, such as corvina, rondinella, and molinara. They are the same grapes used in Valpolicella, a wine that became one of my favorites after a trip to Venice a couple of years ago.

This wine is absolutely beautiful in the glass. One of the things I love about rose wines is the range of colors they can assume. This one is is salmon pink, weighted heavily on the orange side. The aromas aren't overly powerful - green apple and lime, with something weightier in the background, almost a smokiness.

Another thing I love about rose is its tendency towards creaminess with a hint of strawberries that comes after the acidity mellows out in the mouth. It doesn't always happen, but happily in this case it has.  The wine is bone dry, and the first impression is of bracing acidity and a hint of effervescence. The wine then evolves a slight astringency and bitterness (there is some skin contact in the wine-making processes, which gives the wine its color, and can also lend depth of flavor and structure), then comes that delicious strawberries and cream. I'd be happy to drink roses all winter long!

Vintage: 2009
Grape: Unknown
Region: Italy, Veneto
Price: $15
My rating: 91/100