Friday Sips

Do we ever have the perfect fodder tasting to beat 100 degree heat, an EPIC French Rose throwdown featuring pink wines from top producers in the Loire Valley and Provence. The funk part of the title comes from the 70s Funk and soul music that will be featured on the iPod.Also, there will be red wine open for those who don't think pink.

This will be one of our finest Rose tastings we've ever put on...don't miss it!

Back at the end of May, I had the good fortune of visiting Tavel. Having visited the Southern Rhone since 1990, I have often seen the direction signs towards Tavel and driven by them but had actually never visited the village or any of its producers. To my surprise the village is not only one of the prettiest and quaintest in Provence, I learned way more about its wines in one day visiting than in 28+ years in the wine biz.

Tavel is Rose and Rose only and the pink wines that made here are vins pour le repas (wines for the meal). What truly drives Tavel are the limestone soils and if I had my druthers today we would be drinking the 2013, not the 2014, although I think you all will find it to be uber-delicious!

Typical of Lafond’s Tavel, loads of depth and color are present but through it all, it always maintains its underbelly of briskness. Red cherry, wind-swept herbs, and strawberry fold over into a texture that is mouthcoating and fleshy, yet vibrant. Insane complexity, spice and depth shine on the long, long finish. Absolutely a food wine, drink this tsunami of a pink wine with seafood stew, grilled whole chickens with fresh herbs, or crusty bread and an assortment of olives. Hold a few bottles back and enjoy it next summer to see just how it evolves!

When it comes to coffee, you sure as hell don't want the French doing it, but when it comes to dry rose, no one does it better than the cheese-eating surrender-monkeys! Provence and Languedoc don't hold the monopoly on good rose, the Loire Valley makes plenty of scintillating versions and Chinon-master, Domaine Joguet always is a top dog.

Chinon's limestone soils scream out on the 2014, which teems with prominent scents of raspberry and hawthorn along with underlying minerality and fine herbs. Vinous yet very poised texture, not only is this a pleasurable Rose, it also takes on a serious tone that will allow it to pair with a variety of cuisines. In the mouth, there is lots of movement, depth and complexity with a very expressive, illuminating finish that pleasantly lasts for minutes after the wine is swallowed. If you are a fan of the finest rose wines, then this one will be a must-have. Try this one with grilled tuna or swordfish.

Francois Chidaine is one of the Loire Valley’s huge rock stars. Initially becoming highly regarded for his Montlouis and Vouvray wines, Francois extended his reach even further by extending his reach further west into the Touraine and producing a line of delicious wines that aren’t based on Chenin Blanc.

When it comes to dry rose wines, adventurous spirits take over and every now and then. Sharing things that challenge the boundaries of the senses is something that keeps me intrigued, especially when so many of you get excited about it when you sample them. When I tasted this rose, a big, merde-eating smile appeared across my face and the first sentence in my tasting notebook was "This rose combines speed metal, hiphop and baroque on the palate”! Ultimately, I won't torture you with this mind-warped description, but will entice you with the wine's sheer pleasure instead.

50% Pinot Noir and 50% Grolleau with aromas and flavors that reflect the clay, flint and chalky soils with throbbing tones of currant, melon and a core of minerality that is always evident in Chidaine’s wines. In the mouth, it is a genius roller-coaster ride with lively, vivid, super-soaring tones that cry out for shellfish. This is SERIOUS rosé but at 12.5˚ alcohol along with its levity, I wonder just how many bottles I can throw back in one sitting!!???

Known more as classy Châteauneuf-du-Pape specialists, it is no surprise that brothers Thierry & Jean-Pierre Usseglio also maintain the house sophistication with their entire range of wines from top to bottom. At Usseglio, their Cotes-du-Rhone Rose is treated with the same love as their renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.

Grenache is king at this estate and the grapes for this wine come just across the border of Châteauneuf. Elegant pink in color with fresh raspberry, herbes de provence, rose petal and chamomile billowing in the mouth yet maintaining a delicacy and insane freshness. The lingering finish of perfectly comprised of ripened fruit elevated, complex and persists on and on. Scintillating juice from one of Chateauneuf's most prolific estates! Pair this with something a bit more substantial like grilled salmon or grilled bratwurst and it will also pair well with barbecued ribs slathered in a tangy sauce. Bon week-end tous le monde!