2013 Rambling Rosé at Becker Vineyards

 It was a beautiful Saturday in the Texas Hill Country AVA,Saturday August 10th, 2013.  It is harvest time and on this occasion we were celebrating another great vintage of the Becker Vineyard's Provencal!  We figure this was about the ninth year of doing this tasting.  This is one of the many Culinaria events that take place year round in celebration and support of the culinary arts in South Texas.  We thank every one who participated in this worthwhile endeavor. 

It was great to see that the category of rosé wine is more popular than ever, both seating for this event were sold out.  The attendees were already rosé wine  drinkers and enthusiast.  This is great news because this is a category of wine that Texas can make in quantity and quality that rivals the best rosé wine in the world.  I thank the Becker's leadership in making this wine and providing this forum to develop our knowledge and experience with rosé wine.

We tasted the rosé wines blind, blind tasting is the only way to accurately judge and assess the quality of any wine.  The picture above shows the six wines at the start of the tasting.  The colors are beautiful and varied from pale pink, often called salmon, to richer pink hues that can become fairly red in appearance.
My notes and review of the wines are below following the order they were presented with the top left wine being the first and the bottom right being last.


Le Poussin Rose, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2012
High acidity making the first sip bracing and intense, followed by cranberry, raspberry and sour red fruit flavors.  There are secondary flavors of earthy tones and a floral flourish in the finish.

Belle Glos, Pinot Noir Blanc, Brugioni Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, California 2012
A smoky aromatic nose with flavors of strawberry, raspberry and a pronounced minrality. There are hints of tannins and fruit is persistent throughout the taste experience, making this a delicious and rich wine.  

Provencal, Becker Vineyards, Tallent Vineyard, Texas Hill Country, 2012
Strawberry and tart cherry aromas and flavors with a dusty minrality.  There is a light musty note with a hint of orange peal in this balanced well made wine.

Alexander Vineyards, Rosé, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France, 2012
A pretty floral nose, blooming flowers and Prosciutto ham, beguiling combination that is appetizing.  The flavors are tart and tangy with a subtle effervescence with white cranberry fruit.

Balandran, Rosé, "Les Mugues" Costières-de-Nîmes, Rhone, France 2012
A bit of orange spritz on the nose with subtle flavors of strawberry and a smooth flavor experience with a satisfying finish.

I'M (Isabel Mondavi), Deep Rosé, Napa Valley, California 2012

Aromas of cola and cherry with a smoky background, the flavors are rich with cherry and vanilla with a lush mouth feel and a persistent finish.

All six wines are excellent and would make for an enjoyable selection for your next bottle of wine.  The cuisine for the event was prepared by Chef John Brand of the Omni Hotel on the Riverwalk.  It was a duck confit and it clearly demonstrated how well rosé wines pair with food.  If you are ever in doubt on which wine to pair with almost any meal you can reach for a bottle of rosé wine, it is very food friendly.  The ultimate test that proves this is Thanksgiving dinner; the turkey, the ham, dressing, potato salad, green bean casserole, cranberry relish and everything else on the table will go with rosé wine!  

Do you have a favorite rosé wines?  Please comment below...