Rosé is synonymous with summertime festivities. Light pink hues compliment a delicately frosted chalice on a white tablecloth on a beachside veranda. Maybe there’s a few raspberries bobbing in the glass to make the scene picture perfect for your Instagram. Hashtag summer lovin’.
And rosés can often get jumbled into an overwhelming category of pale, poundable wines released in the spring and summer. These tend to be light-bodied, sweet and best served chilled to give you a chance to stave off the scorching solar rays. They pair well with white sand, Abba and salted watermelon.
However, rosés can be so much more than a sunshine-party beverage if you’re willing to give them a chance. Gravitating towards a bottle of rosé in the winter can be a great excuse to try those slightly darker colored wines that might fall into a heftier weight class. There are so many great rosé wines out there that have more structure and character than your typical summer go-to’s.
The perfect wintertime pink will have a fuller body than its fair-weather friends, and may express richer flavors that complement the heartier foods we tend to gravitate towards during the chillier season. Here are some of my favorite rosés from the Argaux collection that definitely fit the bill.
2020 Château Barbebelle Aix-en-Provence ‘Héritage’ Rosé – $28
If you get no further down this list than the Heritage, I understand completely. This wine is truly special, and a libation for all seasons, from solstice to solstice.
Chateau Barbebelle sits on storied soil originally tilled by Roman hands. And the quintessential terroir of Provence shines through the flavors in this bottle, solidly earning it the Heritage title. It is made using the blended technique, and combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah for an elegant and truly unique experience.
This dry rosé pushes summertime flavors with balanced notes of fresh strawberries, red berries, white peach, apricot, peonies and honeysuckle. But a medium body and a distinct richness gives it the oomph to carry you through the winter months.
One of the reasons I also love this wine for winter is that it’s truly a gastronomic rosé that pairs well with classic wintertime fare. I love to have this on hand at any and all holiday get-togethers with family and friends, as it’s proven to be a crowd pleaser.
The consensed favorite winter pairing at Argaux for this rosé is my homemade Thai Green Curry.
2019 Château de Calavon Provence Rosé – $25
A wine magazine (who shall remain nameless) said to steer clear of Provence rosés during the winter months. Obviously I disagree. So here is Provence number 2 on our list for today.
There is something about the practices and soil of the region that offers notes of wisdom to even their younger wines. Especially bottles that come out of vineyards like Cavalon, which has been run by the Audibert family for no less than 5 generations.
And this histoire shifts the youthful flavors of the Provence Rosé into a deeper experience that carries through when the weather outside is frightful.
Blending Cinsault, Carignan & Grenache, we get a light-bodied wine with a palate full of white peach, ripe melon, grapefruit, and Meyer lemon. The citrus-forward flavors make this rosé an ideal base for this mulled pink wine recipe.
2020 Storm Watch Hill Vineyard Grenache Rosé – $28
Counter to what many people who live outside the state think, California does indeed see its fair share of nasty weather. And, as the name of this SoCal vineyard implies, it is the perfect wine for watching the wilder wintertime waves along the Golden State coast.
The Grenache grapes that went into this delicious rosé are grown in the Mediterranean climate of the Los Alamos valley, making them comparable to grapes you might find on the Med itself. And Storm Watch vineyards do their best to observe traditional and time-tested practices in old-world winemaking, bolstered by new world techniques.
The Grenache’s palate is dry and thirst-quenching, but with a hidden depth provided by the old-growth vines from which it was harvested. We can easily imagine enjoying a glass of this next to a roaring fire with a cornucopic wintertime charcuterie to pair.
2019 Clos Signadore ‘A Mandria’ Patrimonio Rosé – $40
Clos Signadore is one of the younger Old World wineries in the Argaux collection, however the grapes are still grown on 40 year old vines planted in ancient Corsican soil.
And the vineyard’s sustainability practices closely match ancient growing practices which would have been absolutely the norm when the land was first tilled: Christopher Ferrandis uses no chemical pesticides or weedkillers during the growing process which may otherwise affect the quality and flavor of the end product.
The A Mandria Patrimonio is a light and dry rosé with a deep and rich color that makes it a constant companion in both the summer and winter months. Summery notes of sweet cherry and wild strawberry are matched with wintertime flavors of blood orange and allspice. Another food-friendly libation, serve it alongside your favorite roasted root-veggie spread and a slice of Christmas ham.
More wintertime treats from Argaux
If you’re still searching for the perfect present for the wine-passionate people in your life, check out our selection of gift boxes from the Argaux collection. We offer a variety of packs to suit all tastes and interests, from a selection of our favorite Champagnes, to a kit that will help you find the right pairing for your bag of hot cheetos. Or, pick out a bottle you know they’ll love and we’ll wrap it for you.
Did that rosé mulling recipe make your moth water? Then we think you’ll get a lot out of our other blog: Best wines for mulling.
