A Rosé with delicious flavor!

At long last, a rosé with delicious flavor and a well-balanced finish!

LES CIMELS, Château d'Or et de Gueles, Costières de Nîmes (southern Rhône, $12

Yes, there is some bias in my statement, because the Pinkapalooza of Rosé taking America by storm right now makes me chuckle.  The pale pink and subtle apricot color of rosé in a clear glass looks so refreshing to me, but its been difficult for me to find one that suits my palette.  Until now....

I've added a new destination to my bucket list- the vineyards of Diane de Puymorin outside of  Nimes in the southern Rhône.  Reading as much about her as I can find, it seems she has championed difficult, but fulfilling soil and climate to produce some incredibly interesting wine.  Her red version of Les Cimels remains a welcome and reliable friend, so I immediately popped the cork on this rosé as soon as I discovered it.

'Les Cimels' translates to 'Bouquet of Flowers' in old Occitan, named for the floral qualities of low-yielding grapes.  For the 2016 rosé I tried, the return was so rewarding- lots of fruit- strawberries and even watermelon- far more than in a Provençal rosé.  There is an almost white chocolatey umami that creates a rich, but brief finish. The finish is so well-balanced between sweet and dry.  I could barely wait to take a second sip, because I knew I had found something special, at least for my palette.

If you enjoy your rosé with flavor, I highly recommend a sip.  The almost copper color of this wine delivers a unique fruity flavor I loved.