French Rose'...All Summer Day

The Unassuming Wine Bro

It's summertime - which means sun, beach, pools, bbq, and all-around laid-back, easy living. To ensure we can thoroughly beat the heat and maximize our own moderately charming poolside manner, we have decided to take drastic action: ceding the selection of this months' wine selections to our wives. With that, this month, we bring you - courtesy of our better halves - affordable French Roses'.

We are The Unassuming Wine Bros (UWB) – Patrick and Vigo - two regular guys who love everything about wine, including writing about it. Our goal is to explore the nuances of wine, share our adventures with you, and have a little fun along the way.

Contrary to popular belief, not all French Roses 'are the same - and not all hail from Provence. French Rose' is made from many different grape varietals, and France has many regions where Rose' flourishes. This month, we explore three other Roses' made with three different grape compositions from three different French wine regions to celebrate this month's wine diversity.

2020 D'Autrefois Rose de Pinot Noir, Pays d’Oc, France, $13.99 US, ABV 12.5%

Vigo: I've said it many times - I enjoy drinking Rose' wines, especially poolside. Roses' are the rom-com of wines: fun, breezy, refreshing, and meant to be enjoyed. However, many mass-produced Roses' are not meant for enjoyment but mixed with soft drinks and chugged down, not savored. The 2020 D' Auterfois Pinot Noir Rose 'is no such wine. Although the 2020 D'Auterfois Rose de Pinot Noir is inexpensive, this Rose' stands on its own with its beautiful pale pink color and aroma of roses, strawberries, and cherries. Its flavor profile is citrus fruits and strawberries that are well-balanced in their acidity, which isn't a surprise since it's made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Will this well-made wine win any awards? That's hard to say. However, I can say it's well-balanced and fun to drink.

Vigo Rating: 3 Bros.

Patrick: I enjoyed the 2020 D' Auterfois Pinot Noir Rose 'as well. This selection was medium-bodied and nicely balanced with strawberry, watermelon, and citrus on the palate. The fruit was balanced with a nice acidity leading it to a crisp and pronounced finish. The fruit and acidity were well-matched here, which made for an easy-drinking selection. Hard to complain about this one for 14 bucks.

Patrick Rating: 4 Bros.

2020 Guy Mousset Côtes du Rhône Rosé, Côtes du Rhône, France, $18.99 US, ABV 13.5%

Vigo: We've moved north from Pays d' Oc to the Rhone Valley and from Pinot Noir to Grenache grapes for our following selection. The 2020 Guy Mousset Côtes du Rhône Rosé is more complex than the one trick pony 2020 D’Autrefois Pinot Noir Rose'. It can be enjoyed poolside but also with a savory piece of barbecue pork, grilled salmon, or tuna. This ability to switch from poolside to table pairing can be attributed to this Rose' being 100% Grenache - which typically profiles more spice and herbal characte

ristics than the Pinot Noir grape. With the aroma of citrus and strawberries and a flavor profile of ripe peaches and cherries, this slightly acidic pale pink in color wine is a great go-to when friends come over for a family pool and barbeque party.

Vigo Rating: 3.5 Bros.

Patrick: The 2020 Guy Mousset Cotes du Rhone Rose was my favorite of this months' selections. It was slightly sour with notes of watermelon and strawberry that gave way to the mild creamy vanilla mid-palate and ended with a long finish. This wine was complex, layered, and very enjoyable—worth picking up a bottle. I will have this one again for sure.

Patrick Rating: 4 Bros.

2020 Olema Rose Cotes De Provence, Provence, France, $16.99 US, ABV 13%

Vigo: This highly-rated French beauty is as lovely as Brigitte Bardot and as complex as a Latin telenovela. The Olema 2020 Rose' has a pale pink and gold color, and its aroma is of apricots, roses, and creamy lemons. On the palate, the taste of strawberries, peaches, melons, citrus, and tart apples fill your mouth. The 2020 Olema Rose is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, and Grenache grapes, which should be no wonder why so many beautiful flavors are present in this Rose'. If you like your Rose's on the dry side, I recommend the 2020 Olema Rose' Cotes De Provence.

Vigo's Rating: 4 Bros.

Patrick: I found the 2020 Olema Rose' Blend to be smooth and fun to drink. This offering had notes of apricot, peach, mild strawberry, and citrus. Even though it was light-bodied, it showed a subtle creaminess. While this wine was my least favorite of the 3, it was still flavorful and worth trying. This might be one of those scenarios where all were solid performers, but one had to be last. This bottle lacked the finish of the other two, but this blends' nuanced fruit profile made up for it.

Patrick's Rating: 3.5 Bros.

Vigo's Overall Impression:

Really, how could I not enjoy classic French Roses' - especially when all I had to do was taste and write about them? Although I think that anytime is the right time for Rose'; enjoying a young fresh Rose' by the beach or pool on a summer day is what makes Rose' so enjoyable. Big thanks to our in-house supermodel sommeliers for making some excellent selections.

Patrick's Overall Impression:

The wives did well this month as all of these wines were pretty good! I thought these three samples showed the nuances of French Roses' as each was different from the others yet still very enjoyable on its own at the same time. I don't drink a lot of Rose, so breaking down this month's wines was a bit more arduous assignment. However, I sampled with an open mind and found I enjoyed exploring this refreshing and flavorful wine. To me, despite the clear pecking order, I would recommend each of these selections. Try them and let us know what you think.

Fans and Readers:

Like our Facebook page "The Unassuming Wine Bros," follow us on Instagram @theinassumingwinebros, or email us at vigoandpatrick@gmail.com. Let us know what you think about this article, these bottles, or suggestions for upcoming articles.

Rating System:

Vigo – / Patrick – UWB symbol. Ratings are given on a 1-5 scale, with five being the highest.