Dr Vino's wine blog

Domaine Tempier, venerable rose from Bandol, emerged victorious against arch rival from Provence, Domaines Ott, in a war of the rosés on the official Dr. Vino Deck this past weekend.

First up was the Ott (Chateau de Selles bottling), with its sleek and stylish bottle that vaguely resembles a pink bowling pin, boasting a retail price of $30+ a bottle–obscene by rosé standards, which has made it the unofficial wine of the Hamptons.

Better than my reduced expectations had led me to believe, the overpriced yacht juice that is the 2007 Ott actually has a pleasant arc, with delicate fruit and acidity (find this wine). Intriguingly, it has a honeyed note while remaining absolutely dry. But it was so smooth it somehow tasted like it had a little “work done;” an enological nip and tuck perhaps?

Next up was the Tempier (find this wine). Darker in color, this rosé has a little more of that “wild” character than the sleek and stylized Ott. This probably comes from a good helping of mourvedre, that stinky red grape, in the blend. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with greater depth, intensity and a beautiful arc. With depth and seemingly natural elegance, this is a serious wine, not just a serious rosé. Of course, like all things powerful and elegant, this comes at a price, namely $39.99 list. Fortunately I got it at a 20% off sale this summer, but the still high price means that the next time I try it may well be on someone else’s deck (or you can bring it to me–makes an ideal host/hostess gift, especially in magnum!).

In another arena, we also tasted some other rosés. Speaking of the Hamptons, earlier in the weekend we dropped by the Channing Daughters winery during a quick stay in Long Island. The winery makes a whopping 23 wines, including three small production rosés, from cabernet franc, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon respectively (find these wines). All 2007s and all solid, they offer a great rose colored lens for viewing the fact that rosé is not monochromatic; they got darker and gained heft as we ascended from cabernet franc to cabernet sauvignon. My fave was the cab franc with a delicate aroma of strawberries and fennel.

Finally, the 2005 Joseph Roty Marsannay rosé (find this wine) joined the skirmish. From a northerly area in Burgundy that has the rare distinction of producing reds, whites and rosés, I was eagerly anticipating this $25 rosé de pinot noir given my enthusiasm for two domestic examples from the grape. However, unlike the light Provencal rosés, this one was dark and had aromas of macerated strawberries. I’ll be looking to spend my rose dollars next year on other parts of France, such as Chinon since I found many great 2007 buys from there. These should remain good values since there aren’t too many yachts on the Loire.

Related: “Fighting back the rosé backlash! In defense of the pink drink“