As much as I love the color pink, I am quite picky when it comes to rosé wines. In general, I don’t like my wines sticky-sweet or too fruit forward. So it can be a challenge for me to find and enjoyable rosé — especially at a local grocery store. Enter Chateau de Campuget 2015 Rosé…
About the Wine: Chateau de Campuget’s 2015 Rosé is made in true Rhone-style tradition. It’s comprised of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah grapes, which were purposefully pressed, meaning they were pressed with the sole purpose of becoming a rosé. As such, the wine comes in very little contact with the stems and skins (tannins), making it light in color, taste, and texture.
12% ABV
Flavor Profile: This extremely light salmon-colored wine emits very subtle berry aromas (raspberries, underripe strawberries, and maybe a hint of currant). The most surprising — and for me the most enjoyable — part of this wine is how dry it is on the tongue. Those fruit aromas dangle in the back of the palate, while the tongue is engulfed in a crisp sea-breeze like freshness. The acid is medium — just enough to let you know fruit is present, but perfectly cuts through any natural sugars. The finish is a long, lingering one that makes you stop and think what other flavors you might find in the fun (and kind of funky) aftertaste.
Food Pairing: Honestly, this wine is so subtle and so refreshing it could be paired with almost anything and can certainly be enjoyed on its own on a warm summer day. Personally I had this with grilled salmon (the natural oils of the salmon brought out the deeper Syrah-quality in the wine) with a strawberry-mandarin salad (which allowed the fruit flavors to come forward a bit more).
More Information: I purchased this bottle at Whole Foods (Price: $11.99). I’d be curious to try other varietals from Chateau de Campuget, namely their single-varietal Syrah or Grenache, to see if that same complexity and French funk can be found in their reds as well. I haven’t seen either of these at any local grocers, but their wines are all available for purchase on their site. So, for more information about Chateau de Campuget and their wines, please do visit their site.
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