Written by: Aaron Romano | Wine Spectator
April 18, 2022
It takes just one warm-weather trend to make wine lovers dream of sunnier days ahead, filled with barbecues, pool parties and beach trips. One of the best wines to pair with those activities is a cool, refreshing rosé. In this week’s selection, we’ve highlighted a dozen West Coast bottlings from recent tastings that are made in several shades of pink, using a range of grape varieties.
The two bottlings at the top of the list, from Alma de Cattleya and Lucy, are both Pinot Noir-based. It’s quite the coincidence they’ve been coupled, because their respective winemakers are, in fact, a couple. Winemaker Bibiana González Rave is behind the sleek and floral Alma de Cattleya rosé, and her husband, Jeff Pisoni, has made Lucy’s crisp yet richly fruity version. At $22, the price is right for these complex blushes. Even better, Lucy donates $1 of every bottle sold to organizations fighting and researching breast cancer.
Two new labels to watch are Gaslighter and Stel + Mar. The first is a new brand from Grammy-winning country music stars, The Chicks, who are collaborating with Sonoma’s Bundschu family. This 2020 rosé is zesty and user-friendly with vibrant raspberry and orange accents. Stel + Mar, founded in 2018 by friends Chris Noll and Justin Dumitrescu, delivers a fruit-forward style with cherry and spice flavors. Noll and Dumitrescu specialize in affordable wines, and this non-vintage blush is priced at just $11.
STEL + MAR
Rosé California NV
Score: 88 | $11
WS review: Fruit-forward and a touch sweet, with cherry and spice flavors. Syrah, Barbera and Petite Sirah. Drink now. 3,000 cases made. From California.—T.F.
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