To Paraphrase/quote Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon. "Ros\xe9 is the wine for those who "get it" and for those who don't." Cheers, Jim The Chronicle Recommends: dry ros� Jon Bonn� Sunday, May 30, 2010 The pink conundrum continues. Ros� is as popular as ever, the case having finally been made for its summery charms. And yet the quality gap keeps growing. It's almost axiomatic: The more people drink ros�, the more mediocre ros� appears. Part of this is just an extension of wine-growing concerns; as grapes get riper across the board, ros� - especially if made in the saign�e method, in which pale juice is drained from red grapes - follows suit. A lot of what we rejected in the course of tasting 80 dry pink wines fell short because of evident alcohol and ripe fruit flavors that had lost balancing acidity. Lower-acid red wines might make a (meager) case, but the entire point of ros� is freshness, so a dull pink wine is no happy creature. To that point about freshness, we stuck to the 2009 vintage for our exploration. There are still 2008 wines on shelves, and they may well be vibrant, but so rare is the ros� that evolves with age (Rioja's Lopez de Heredia comes to mind) that we decided to focus on the freshest of the fresh. We had a relatively good sampling of global ros� options, though a few prime spots (the Loire Valley, in particular) weren't in the mix. After parsing our results, it was worth noting that some of the best ros�s are being made from fruit designated for that purpose. That's not to slag the saign�e process - some lively examples were made that way - but when grapes are picked (usually earlier) with ros� in mind, it tends to preserve freshness. I'd go further: When fruit is set aside for ros�, that's often a sign that a winery takes the pink stuff seriously. We saw more Pinot-based pinks getting bigger and darker, even as more Grenache and Rhone-style ros�s showed a lighter hand. Could it be a signal of Pinot's amplitude issues? And if ros� is one place where the herbal edge of Cabernet and Merlot can shine, we saw little indication of that this time. Indeed, at times our ros� ramble seemed like a barometer of the concerns about how far ripeness is being pushed. But we also found plenty of examples where freshness reigns, and no shortage of pink to keep our glasses - even our tumblers - well filled as Memorial Day arrives. This article has been corrected since it originally appeared in print. 2009 Breggo Mendocino County Ros� of Syrah ($20): A light touch for some serious fruit. It's not on the label, but the Syrah comes from top-notch Alder Springs Vineyard in Laytonville, then got just two hours on the skins. Flavors are savory and subtle: salted cherries, mace and vibrant citrus zest. 2009 Charles & Charles Volume II Talcott Vineyard Columbia Valley Syrah Ros� ($11): A repeat of this user-friendly effort from duo Charles Bieler (Three Thieves) and Charles Smith (K Vintners). Tangy and full of sweet tangerine, black cherry, cherry pit and dried herbs. 2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol Cotes de Provence Ros� ($16): Provence is ground zero for ros�, and this historic label dialed in an effort that has tarry Mourvedre underpinnings to its bright Grenache fruit. Think nectarines on hot asphalt, plus gorgeously bright red apple, watermelon, leather and apricot. (Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant) 2009 Curran Santa Ynez Valley Grenache Ros� ($20): Central Coast star Kris Curran (Sea Smoke) derived a subtle Grenache take for her own label. Perfumed and floral, like buttercups and wild strawberry, with a welcome slight sweetness. 2009 Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone Ros� ($14): A big-boned Rhone blend (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault) from high-profile Chateauneuf maker Christophe Sabon. Jammy strawberry and black currant, with hawthorne aromas and a dusty mineral edge. A bit of tannic bite at the finish makes it one for the dinner table. (Importer: Eric Solomon/European Cellars) 2009 Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Costieres de Nimes Ros� ($12): Another winner from this organically farmed estate outside Nimes. A deeper, more food-aligned ros�, with roasted orange, dried thyme, sweet raspberry and a bit of fruit-skin bite at the end. (Importer: Robert Kacher Selections) 2009 Domaine Grand Veneur Reserve Cotes du Rhone Ros� ($15): Another classic southern Rhone mix from Chateauneuf producer Alain Jaume. Apricot, ripe strawberry and bright mineral accents, with a delicate juicy profile that avoids fruit overload. (Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils) 2009 Donkey and Goat Isabel's Cuvee Mendocino Grenache Ros� ($18): The slightly cloudy look of Jared and Tracey Brandt's excellent ros� hints at their natural winemaking. In this case, half the Grenache fruit (from 90-year-old vines) was left on skins for 36 hours, the other half quickly pressed. The result is earthy, briny and contemplative, like salted strawberry licorice with a peach overtone. 2009 Elyse California Ros� ($15): A barrel-fermented Rhone tribute (mostly Grenache) from the Sierra Foothills. Big, sweet flavors of strawberry, lime pith, dried thyme and a coriander-seed bite. Rounder and riper, and happy to be poured in a tumbler on the porch. 2009 Gaia Wines 14-18h Peloponnisos Agiorgitiko Ros� ($18): This rising-star Greek estate sources native Agiorgitiko grapes from hillsides in Nemea, then soaks them for 14 to 18 hours (hence the name). Cranberry, chervil and chalky mineral. Refreshingly sharp-edged, with a bit of tannin to commend it to a skewer of meat. (Importer: Athenee Importers and Distributors) 2009 Husch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Vin Gris ($16): One of Anderson Valley's pioneers turns in a big boy of a Pinot ros� (14.5 percent alcohol) that got a full 28 hours on the skins. Sweeter notes come forward; butterscotch and roasted beets accent more delicate, soft raspberry flavors. 2009 Librandi Ciro Rosato ($9): This large Calabrian concern delivers with its ripe, mellow all-Gaglioppo ros�. Stony and a bit sweet, with cranberry, ripe strawberry, black cherry and peach pit. Think Dixie cups. (Importer: Winebow) 2009 Lucia Vineyards & Winery Lucy Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Ros� ($18): The Pisoni family turned its thoughts rosy last year, with this somewhat weighty saign�e of Santa Lucia Pinot. Full of roasted strawberry, with a sweet pie-filling aspect and a biting lemony edge to cut the sweetness. 2009 Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Vin de Pays de l'Heurault Ros� ($12): The Guibert family (Daumas Gassac) nails this delicious Syrah-Grenache mix from the Languedoc for their wallet-friendly second label. Bright peppercorn and peach nectar, with lots of bright acid momentum and just enough berryish depth to carry you through a meal. (Importer: Beaune Imports) 2009 Paramo Flor del Paramo Castilla y Leon Prieto Picudo Rosado ($15): Enologist Pedro Gonzalez Mittelbrun made it a priority to revive the Prieto Picudo grape indigenous to this area of central Spain, south of Leon. In ros� form, it's deeply colored and bursting with flavors of nectarine, plum, blood orange and a slight coppery bite. (Importer: Classical Wines) 2009 Ponzi Rosato Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Ros� ($17): Twenty-four hours on the skins brought a bit of extra color. It's juicy, with a grapefruit overtone to the sharp cranberry tang. Vivacious and clean. 2009 Uvaggio Lodi Rosato ($14): Winemaker Jim Moore has a knack for pink wines under his Uvaggio label; this time Primitivo (i.e., Zinfandel) got added to the usual high-acid kick of Barbera for a sharp, aromatic result. Think cherry SweeTarts, burnt orange and limeade, with stellar acidity. A summer-salad sort of ros�. 2009 Van Duzer Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Ros� ($16): This Oregon winery selected a single Pommard-clone block for its latest pink offering. Freshly shaved berry ice, tart citrus and a sultry earth presence for depth. Panelists: Jon Bonn�, Chronicle wine editor; Sarah Fritsche, Chronicle cellar coordinator; Mike Millett, wine buyer, Rainbow Grocery. Jon Bonn� is The Chronicle's wine editor. Find him at jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com and at twitter.com/jbonne. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/30/FD521DKT19.DTL This article appeared on page K - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle � 2010 Hearst Communications Inc. | Privacy Policy | Feedback | RSS Feeds | FAQ | Site Index | Contact -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *