Category Archives: Rosé

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You Are So Bubbly, Sparkling Rosé

You Are So Bubbly, Sparkling Rose, France.

You Are So Bubbly, Sparkling Rose, France.

Our first tasting at Wine Therapy in Manhattan was You Are So Bubbly, a sparkling Rosé from the Louis/Dressner vineyards.  Imported from France, this Rosé engendered two different responses from my wife and I.  On one hand it was a refreshing cool beverage on a hot June day and slaked our thirsts; on the other I found it similar to other Rosés I’ve tasted.  Not my favorite grape or process, even in as a sparkling option.

I’m not a wine snob, but swirling this Rosé around a paper cup as we did isn’t the way you might enjoy this on your patio or poolside.  If you’re a fan of Rosé, You Are So Bubbly will probably strike a favorable chord for you.  I’m obviously more a fan of reds than whites, Rosé, or sparkling, but on a sultry summer day in the city you might appreciate the soft floral notes offered by this option.

Ultimately, I’d rate this sparkling Rosé higher for the ambiance and adventure and less for its taste, but check it out for yourself next time you have a cheese platter lining up for a gathering or summer picnic.

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Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Rosé Blend Bordeaux Rosé 2008

I’ll preface by saying this was probably the first Rosé we’ve opened in some time…definitely the first appearance in Notes and could possibly be the last.  We opened this Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Rosé Blend Bordeaux Rosé on a Friday evening and thought it might escort us into a nice weekend.  Just couldn’t take it…seemed so…middling and indecisive.

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Rosé Blend Bordeaux Rosé 2008, France.

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Rosé Blend Bordeaux Rosé 2008, France.

This 2008 Rosé is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet France, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and those grapes always engender positive remarks–whether separately or as some Bordeaux–from this consumer.  Lots of evidence of this all throughout the blog, but it just didn’t add up here.  Despite being stored horizontally, the cork had dried out and largely disintegrated when we tried to open this bottle.  Maybe that accounted for some unpredictability in taste?  I don’t know enough about the spoilage of wines to comment on this further but may give the winemaker some benefit of the doubt by sharing this variable with you, readers.

Given the thumbs down we experienced, I thought it might be helpful to include a second opinion and share with you the following: “This is one of the strongest efforts from Canon-La-Gaffeliere since their spectacular 1990. Tiny yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare and a final blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon have resulted in a wine of exceptional complexity. Aromas of roasted herbs, spice box, sweet and sour cherries, licorice, incense, and black fruits are followed by a wine with tremendous opulence, full body, and moderately high but sweet tannin. Excellent acidity gives precision to this big, but impeccably well-balanced, pure.”

I couldn’t disagree more (confess that we couldn’t even finish half the bottle) but leave it to you if you want to see for yourself.  I’ll skip this one next time.