Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with cold meats, poultry, white meats, grilled lamb with Provence herbs, fish soup, fried fish, pastas, pizzas and all Asian dishes.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Clean, crisp and lively, with gorgeous watermelon, citrus blossom, rose petal and hints of minerality all emerging from the glass, the 2014 Cotes du Rhone Rose la Dame Rousse is more fresh and lively than the two Tavel releases, yet certainly doesn't lack for depth, length or flavor intensity. Medium-bodied, juicy, clean crisp, it's one of those few rosés that has the ability to instantly transport you to a seaside village, overlooking the Mediterranean, on a gorgeous summer day. Buy this rocking effort by the case and drink it over the coming year or two. It will be better in a few months and still be drinking beautifully next year as well.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.