When is a Rosé is not (just) a Rosé?

We’ve taken a previous look at how Rosé is made. We’re all familiar with the pink or salmon-colored, fruity, and refreshing Rosés commonly found on wine shelves everywhere. Delicious for sipping on a hot day or pairing with summery foods.

There is another, less ubiquitous style of rosé, however, that deserves exploration. It defies the perception that the lighter the color the better – we’ve all become so accustomed to light pink rosés that it seems that darker rosés are occasionally regarded with some uncertainty.

These rosés fill the need for wines in that style that are a little bit more substantial, a little grippier than the typical summer pale Rosé. Not to take anything away from our lighter hued favorites, but sometimes you just want a little more – perhaps to match with dish that calls for more substance out of the wine yet is not a match with red wine.

There isn’t a name for this style, but there are some wonderful examples. Wines with a cherry red color, intense red fruit flavors, and even some tannin and spice, while still retaining freshness and zippiness. These wines also will age well for a few years, unlike many of their paler cousins.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Cerasuolo (chair-uh-swolo) means ‘pale cherry red’ in Italian. The DOC of Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo has existed only since 2010 and is defined as a rosé made from at least 85% Montepulciano grape, grown below 500 meters elevation, or 600 meters for a south-facing slope, and has to have at lease 12% alcohol. It also can’t be sold until the first of January following harvest.

The Montepulciano grape is the dominant grape grown in the region of Abruzzo and is well known for producing dark-fruited and soft, every day red wines. But made into a Cerasuolo, this grape takes on a zippy red-fruited character, often with a light tannic grip. Many producers also assert that these wines have a 4-7 year drinking window, as a conservative estimate.

Montepulciano is known for having high levels of anthocyanins (color and pigments) in the skin. This gives the wines a deeper hue from only a short maceration time. Most Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is fermented and aged in stainless steel, although some modern producers are beginning to experiment with other vessels.

The Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore DOC also exists, although these wines are made in much smaller quantities. This designation requires lower yields in the vineyard, along with a minimum alcohol level of 12.5% with 2 months additional aging. Wines with this designation have also often seen some time in barrel.

Tavel: The Tavel wine region is located in the Southern Rhone region in France. This region is unique in that it only produces Rosé wines. It is well-known for producing deep, intense, and complex dry Rosé. Tavel has a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and cool, wet winters. Influenced by the Mistral winds, the region has 4 major parts, defined by different soil types: Lirac/Tavel (alluvial), Roqumaure (sand), Rochefort du Gard (limestone marl), Les Angeles/Villeneuve-Les-Avignon (clay and gravel).

The Tavel AOC allows nine different grape varieties, with Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah being the major contributors. Mouvedre, Carignan, Calitor are the other red grapes, while the white grapes Clairette, Picpoul and Bourboulenc make up the remaining allowable grapes.

Again, it’s the longer maceration of the grape skins with pulp that draws out the color, also giving it some tannic grip and structure.

Look for robust wines with tart red berry and orange zest characters, along with minerality and spice, with a tannic backbone.

Clarete: Clarete is not technically a rosé due to the fermentation method. However, it’s a style that fans of rosé, chillable dry reds and skin-contact wines should explore.

Clarete is a traditional style of wine made in northern Spain, primarily in the regions of Ribera de Duero, Navarra and Cigales. It is a style of wine dating back more than 1000 years in Spanish wine making history, and while Clarete wines have fallen into some obscurity, they are starting to make a small comeback with those wine drinkers “in the know”.

It is a blend of red and white grapes, co-fermented on its skins like a traditional red. It is elevated above the typical “field-blend” rosé, however, by the judicious use of oak and lees aging, which adds weight and tannin.

While the typical grape varieties are Tempranillo and Viura, a wide range of grapes is possible, including Garnacha, Bobal, Albillo, Malvasia…each winery has its own signature blend.

If you’re a wine drinker who loves to explore the lesser known, dive into these wines:

Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo:

Named by Decanter magazine as “one of Italy’s Rising Stars” in 2013, Tiberio has established itself as one of Italy’s finest producers. Currently run by siblings Cristiana and Antonio Tiberio, the vineyards are planted with massal selections (the practice of replanting new vineyards with cuttings from exceptional old vines from the same/nearby vineyards, preserving clonal diversity and increasing individuality).

The Tiberio Cerasuolo is made from 100% Montepulciano grapes, from vines with an average age of over 50 years, and vineyards at an altitude of around 1200 ft above sea level.

This cherry red wine is made using a cold maceration with the skins, no press, just free run juice, and fermented in stainless steel tanks with no malolactic fermentation.

Look for aromas and flavors of red cherry and red berry. Fresh and fruity, balanced by a crisp acidity and floral character in the clean, long finish.

Olivier & Lafont Tavel:

Gérald Lafont and Baptiste Olivier are two of the Rhône Valley’s top consulting oenologists. Their consulting work has given them access to grapes from many of the top vineyards in the region, and that, combined with their winemaking skill, allows them to create top-notch wines from the region.

This Tavel is a blend of Grenache and Cinsault. A deep pink, almost strawberry color with red highlights, it has concentrated flavors of ripe red berry, with moderate acidity and soft tannins.

Torremilanos Ojo Gallo Clarete:

Owned by the Peñalba Lopez family since 1975, the vineyards on this 200 hectare estate in Ribera Del Duero are cultivated in a biodynamic way, and are producing organic wines.

The grapes for this wine are manually harvested from 80–180-year-old vineyards. Made from a combination of red and white grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Bobal, Monastrell, Viura, Abillo, and Malvasia.

Fermented in small concrete tanks using indigenous yeasts after 7 days of maceration, it is then aged for an average of 8 months in 225L oak barrels. It undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel, much like a regular red wine.

This is a traditional Clarete. Light red in color, it is dry, bright, and fruity. While it drinks more like a red wine in structure, the flavors of fresh strawberry and raspberry dominate.