It is the perfect time for a nice, chilled Rosé. And I have several interesting Rosés to try. The 2007 Txakoli Gurrutxaga Rosado was absolutely delicious and I looked forward to the Saintsbury as well. I have long savored Saintsbury Pinot Noirs. So I expected that their Rosé would also greatly please me.
The 2007 Saintsbury Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($14.99) is a "vin gris" which is a term generally used in Burgundy to refer to a pink wine made from Pinot Noir. The Saintsbury is also a Vin Gris saigné, meaning a wine that is produced from juice bled from the Pinot Noir tanks before fermentation starts.
The grapes for the Vin Gris come from vineyards where the yield was slightly higher than optimal. By removing the juice for the Vin Gris, this actually concentrates what remains in the tank. The Vin Gris juice is placed in older French oak barrels to ferment dry. It is bottled in late winter and released every year on April Fools Day. I am not quite sure why they choose that particular day.
The Vin Gris is a vibrant light red in color. It has a lively nose of strawberry and raspberry. It is a more full bodied than, especially as compared to the Gurrutxaga Rosado. That may also have something to do with the fact that the Vin Gris has an alcohol content of 13.5%. It is a bit higher than many other Rosés so you need to consider that when drinking it. On the palate, it has very nice bright fruit flavors, plenty of acidity and more boldness than an Old World Rosé. It is still a dry wine though a bit more fruit forward.
I enjoyed this wine, though it is definitely a more New World style Rosé. It has a lot going for it, but I do prefer the Gurrutxaga Rosado. That said, I still would recommend the Saintsbury as a Drink & Buy. It is an excellent value at the price and should appeal to many. It is just a matter of preference of which Rosé style you enjoy.
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