Winemaker Notes
A beautiful deep peach color. On the nose, an appealing mix of yellow raspberry and yellow roses, cranberry and sweet spice. The mouth is luscious but electric too, with flavors or raspberry and salted watermelon, creamy texture, and a vibrant line of acidity that leaves a lingering impression of plum skin and briny sea spray. A rosé to convert people who don't think pink wines can be serious.
Blend: 44% Mourvedre, 43% Grenache, 9% Counoise, 4% Cinsaut
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A beautiful bright shade of red, the Dianthus is a blend of four Rhône varieties, mostly Mourvèdre and Grenache. The wine sees 24-48 hours of skin contact and is made wholly in steel. Aromatically beguiling, it has a savoury edge of wild herbs announcing sweet strawberries and freshly chopped mint leaves. The palate is filled with spice, bright berries, and a piquant blood orange note. It is delightfully fresh and zippy through the finish.
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James Suckling
Dominated by mourvedre and grenache, this well-extracted rosé starts off with compressed watermelon and wild-strawberry aromas and flavors. Spiced crushed cherries and minerals, as well as orange pith, linger through the savory, structured finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
A darker hue of pink in the glass, this rosé blend of 44% Mourvèdre, 43% Grenache, 9% Counois and 4% Cinsaut is pleasing in all the relevant ways. Aromas of cherry, strawberry and stone lead from the nose into a palate that's bold in red fruit flavors yet very detailed in texture and acidity. Serve with rich fish dishes and fried chicken sandwiches.
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Vinous
A deep translucent ruby with orange hues, the 2024 Rosé Dianthus opens with a woodland-inspired blend of flowery underbrush, wet stone and wild berries. The palate is round and pliant, with a tactile mineral edge up front as ripe orchard fruits ride a stream of vibrant acidity. It finishes energetic yet potent, leaving a slight tart cranberry concentration that pinches at the cheeks. The Dianthus is packed full of character.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Rosé Dianthus is a deeper, more complex counterpoint to the introductory Patelin bottling, crafted from Mourvèdre and drawing inspiration from Tavel. The nose is loaded with lush red fruit aromas combined with savory, herbal accents that retain admirable poise and clarity. The palate is both textural and energetic, culminating in a succulent, grippy and fragrant finish. It's a blend of 44% Mourvedre, 43% Grenache, 9% Counoise and 4% Cinsaut.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.