Country: France
Region: Vin de Pays d’Oc
Vintage: 2007
Price: $8.93
Please keep in mind, we are reviewing these wines in no particular order and we are NOT ranking them. This wine is the first we have tasted in the challenge and therefore #1
Cynthia’s review:
Let me begin by saying that I know absolutely nothing about wine. In addition, I also admit that I have never even read anything about wine. (a telling admission for a raving bibliophile) I guess this makes me the perfect wine critic- I have no preconceptions of any kind.
The first wine in our “Ten Wines for One Hundred Dollars” challenge was a Pere Anselme, Cótes De Provence 2007 Rosé. The label on this bottle indicates that it is mostly Grenache with the addition of Syrah, Mourvédre, Cinsault and “other regional wines”. (????)
Although I am not typically a big fan of Rosés, (they sometimes remind me of Koolaid) I actually liked this wine. It was fruity, but not sweet. Initially, we had chilled the wine a bit too much, which gave it a nasty bite and aftertaste which wasn’t pleasant. When it warmed just a bit- still cool- it smoothed out a lot and was actually quite nice. Reading the label on the bottle after the fact- I see that it recommends serving the wine chilled at 48 degrees. (OK- learning moment for me- I guess I should actually read the label before consuming the wine !) We had this wine with a dinner of roast chicken ( with rosemary from my garden) risotto and a zucchini/green bean/carrot mix and it was really very good. Again, I plead ignorance about which wine should be served with which food, but I thought that this combination was very nice indeed. The label on the bottle indicates that this wine “goes well with starters, tomato and lettuce salads, salade nicoise, taboulé, Mediterranean fish dishes… spicy cuisine, exotic Mexican and Asian food, white meat, turkey brochette.” OK- I agree with most of that, but really can’t see this wine going very well with spicy Mexican and Asian food- I think the flavor would completely disappear.
We’ve decided that our reviews in this challenge will result in either a “yay” or “nay” vote. Despite the fact that I am predisposed to dislike anything French, my vote on this wine is a firm “yay”.
Jay’s Review:
Much like Cynthia, I am not a big fan of Rosés (and I *like* Koolaide!). They strike me as too fruity, if not in taste at least in appearance. I don’t mind swishing my wine a bit, I just don’t want to look like a swish drinking wine if you know what I mean.
That being said, the wine was very tasty. As Cynthia mentioned, it was not so great when it was chilled too much. But when it was allowed to warm up a bit it the flavor and the finish evened out quite nicely and by the time we finished the bottle I was lamenting the fact that we had run dry of this fine wine.
Add me to the “yay” column for the Père Anselme, Cótes De Provence 2007 Rosé
I know less than nothing about wine since I rarely drink the stuff–but I’ll be following your challenge avidly. Mom likes wine, and tasty (inexpensive) suggestions that might suit a gift basket are always good! Thank you for your reviews!
This wine was as much a homework assignment as it was a food pairing suggestion. I always try to get budding oenophiles to identify the difference between fruity and sweet and this is a great example. I beg of everyone please don’t confuse dry rose’ with blush wine…THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!! Dry rose’ is a great wine for those who like whites but aren’t ready for a big red and go well with any food that takes more oomph than most whites can provide. Also please be mindful of temperature here it makes a difference…whites 45, reds 55 and rose’ somewhere in the middle. If its too acidic chill it, too bland let it warm up. (Disclaimer-wine is purely subjective so do not freak out on specific details it takes the enjoyment out of it)
-G