WBW#69: 2009 Yellow+Blue Rosé

Today is WBW #69, Animal Cruelty. But do not worry, as no real animals were harmed in any way for this WBW. I simply chose the theme to be wines made primarily from the Mourvedre grape, sometimes also known as Estrangle-Chien, the “dog strangler.”

For my choice of a wine for this theme, I was fortunate to recently receive a sample of one that I had been very interested in tasting. This was the 2009 Yellow+Blue Rosé ($12-$13).

Yes, this wine comes in a Tetra Pak, kind of an adult juice box, and that is one reason to like this wine. Tetra Paks are better than bottles for the environment in a number of ways. They are made from 75% paper harvested from responsibly managed forests. For shipping purposes, they are lighter and less bulky than bottles. A case of bottled wine weighs about 40 pounds and holds 9 liters of wine while a case of Yellow+Blue only weighs 26 pounds and holds 12 liters of wine. In addition, the Tetra Paks actually hold one liter of wine, as opposed to the usual 750ml bottle. Tetra Paks are very portable, without the danger of broken glass, and are perfect for camping trips, boat trips, and more.

Another reason to like this wine is that Y+B Wines is very environmentally conscious. Even their name, Yellow and Blue (which combines to make Green) is indicative of their values. Their wine makers only use certified organically grown grapes as well as traditional, natural winemaking processes.

I have enjoyed the Y+B Wines before, and really loved their 2008 Rosé so was excited to try the 2009 vintage, hoping it would be at least as good. The 2009 Rosé comes from the Alicante region of Spain and is a blend of 65% Monastrell and 35% Syrah, which is a different blend from the 2008, which was 80% Monastrell and 20% Syrah.

The wine had a rich pink color, and a very fruity nose, lots of lush strawberry and watermelon. On the palate, the red fruit flavors were very dominant though it was still dry, and more Old World than New. It was crisp and had a very pleasant finish. I opened it for a BBQ, on a bright sunny day, and it made for a very good pairing, especially as it tasted very refreshing. What seemed different from the 2008 vintage, was that the fruit flavors seemed more prominent in the 2009 and I did notice any citrus flavors as I did in the prior vintage.

It was a delicious Rosé and we quickly finished off the Tetra Pak with dinner. At the price, especially when you get a liter of wine, this is an excellent value and I highly recommend it.

I must also give my highest recommendation to Rosés in general. These "pink" wines can be excellent, are very food friendly, and both men and women should be enjoying them. Though many people only drink Rosé in the summer, I drink it year round. But it does make a fine summer drink, dry, fruity and refreshing. Don't ignore Rosé when shopping for wine.