Rose - how far can you push it?

[catchnrelease]

I'm talking about Aussie bottles, I'm happy to keep things local for now. I haven't really had too many Rose's in the past, and the ones I have didn't blow me away but by all means I don't think they were good Rose's to begin with. Hence, my desire to try some more and better bottles, but I'm curious how long they can last (if at all) in the cellar? Should I bother buying some now, or just run down to the bottle shop whenever I feel like one?

Turkey Flat and Charles Melton seem to be the common yet decent bottles, but does anyone have experience with Rockford's Rose offering? Are there some Rose's that cellar while others that don't due to their quality/producer?

[maybs]

I don't know the answer to your question Alex, but can I just say that if you ever come across the Lark Hill rose you should grab some. Tried it recently at lunch at the Cupitt Winery restaurant on the south coast and it was excellent. The three of us, not against rose but not mad keen on it, were all raving.

[Rossco]

I think most are made in a drink now style. The only one I know of that is aged, is the David franz 08 cellar release rose
I have never had it, as when I was in barossa a couple of months
Ago, his shed (aka cellar door) was closed unfortunately.

I had the alicante bouche a year or so ago. I can see the appeal, but
It wasn't to my taste. A little bit sweet. My go to rose is the turkey flat

[catchnrelease]

I don't know the answer to your question Alex, but can I just say that if you ever come across the Lark Hill rose you should grab some. Tried it recently at lunch at the Cupitt Winery restaurant on the south coast and it was excellent. The three of us, not against rose but not mad keen on it, were all raving.

I'll keep an eye out for it - do you remember the vintage?

Rossco, the Turkey Flat was probably my first choice, I haven't heard anything bad about it.

[TravisW]

The only one I have cellared with confidence is Sutton Grange Estates Rosé 2010. Still working our way through a case and a half of it. Beautiful stuff.

Had a great Langmeil Cab rosé last year. Not sweet, crisp and fresh finish.

Here's a thread from a month ago... viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13616&p=111681&hilit=Rose#p111681

Cheers, Travis.

[maybs]

Pretty sure it was the '11 Alex. I also checked and they are sold out of the current '12 vintage at the winery

[Duncan Disorderly]

I find the freshness of a young rose to be part of the appeal but one imagines cellaring may add some complexity. I have had some French rose from Domaine Gros Nore (Bandol) which had about three years bottle age and it still tasted pretty good.

The best Australian rose's I've had include the:

Spinifex
Alta 'For Elise'
Luke Lambert Crudo

And while not Australian I did very much enjoy a rose from Verget du Sud (Provence) on Friday, which I picked up at Bonds Corner in Sydney prior to Xmas.

[TrickyH]

Your question got me thinking about a bottle of 2005 Noon 'High Noon' Rose that I had put in a box for disposal. So I put it in the fridge and opened it tonight. It's 14.5% alc and the note on the back of the bottle says 'drink young' so I was just expecting hot vinegar.
However, it was actually travelling surprisingly well. Still quite balanced, fresh raspberry fruit and carrying that awful weight of alcohol really well - without too much heat.
What prevented me from drinking more than a single glass was this hint of rubber/burning rubber on the nose and palate. I don't remember this being a feature of the wine in its youth but I have to admit to not drinking a lot of it, so that may be a product of the ageing process. In any case it wasn't dominating.

[Milan]

I really enjoy the Rob Dolan True Colours Rose. I don't think it would be suitable for cellaring however.

[penguinoid]

I've never tried any of their wines (yet!) but Lopez de Heredia in Rioja are famous for releasing an aged Gran Riserva rosé. From their website, the current release seems to be the 2000 vintage:

http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/english/v ... iaROS.html

I know they're imported into Australia, but I've never seen them in the shops. They'd probably be too expensive for me, in any case...

[via collins]

The 2013 Castagna "Allegro" syrah rose had Phillip White doing all kinds of descriptive acrobatics in his Drinkster blog.

I find his leads are well worth following up on the whole, and this wine has proven a cracker all summer long - deliriously substantial light bodied red with serious savoury punch. I'm past the dozen mark now. Engaging wine prose is not my area, but Whitey excels at it. Here he is:

"Inspired by the winemakers of Bandol and Tavel, Castagna has wrought a wondrous thing here, a complex and rewarding drink unlike anything else in Australia. It has that glorious crushed hardrock prickle that makes the nostrils flare and the juices flow, over a welling bowl of Turkish delight and maraschino cherry, aspects which serve as a sort of primary fruit gift-wrapping to the more complex and weighty aromas of cooked taro and sweet potato that make up its soul. It’s an austere thing to savour, being more slender and elegant than that complex fragrance would signal."

[Mahmoud Ali]

I've never tried any of their wines (yet!) but Lopez de Heredia in Rioja are famous for releasing an aged Gran Riserva rosé. From their website, the current release seems to be the 2000 vintage:

http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/english/v ... iaROS.html

I know they're imported into Australia, but I've never seen them in the shops. They'd probably be too expensive for me, in any case...

Yes, that is a good recommendation from all that I've read. I too haven't seen this wine in the shops in my area.

My experience with Australian rosé tells me that you should consider the Melton 'Rosé of Virginia', it is to me the best rosé in Australia though I can imagine Castagna being good as well. I have had a Melton rosé at 10 years of age and it was very nice. Two thumbs up!

Mahmoud.

[daz]

I've never tried Melton Rose of Virginia but it does seem to be the most lauded of Australian roses. Turkey Flat is good. I've also enjoyed Teusner Salsa in the past.