Gerard Bertrand: Cote de Roses 2015 – Rose

This wine holds my personal award for the best bottle ever.  The bottom is cut in the design of a rose so if you push it into play dough you’ll get a rose shaped design.  The top comes with a glass stopper.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the bottle, but it’s awesome.  Especially the glass stopper.

The wine itself is the most beautiful shade of pale pink with peach undertones.  If you’re going to have a bridal shower any time soon, stock up on this wine.  Absolutely gorgeous.

As an Old World wine, the nose hits you immediately with the scent of Southern France.  (Did I mention this one is a French wine?  I’m old fashioned.  I love French wines.)  Earthy and salty, it makes me think about the cliffs of the French Pyrenees nearest the Mediterranean.  You can almost see the lavender fields in the distance. 

(Side note: when I was in high school, I visited Europe.  In the early morning I was riding the high speed train from Paris to Nice.  As I waited in line for a bathroom, watching out the window, the train came around a pass, the hills opened up, and you had the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean across a distant field.  That is what this wine smells like to me.  Except for the train and bathroom part.)

After the initial nose, I can smell grapefruit and flowers: rose and jasmine.  A brief hint of strawberry that is quickly replaced with fresh green herbs.  The wine is clearly complex.

Be prepared when you finally taste it – this is a French rose, a dry rose.  There isn’t any sweetness to the wine.  The flavor is full, fresh, and beautifully dry.  There’s a mineral overtone to the flavor; a tanginess.  You’ll notice some of the floral flavors, but nothing sweet.  From beginning to end, this is a dry, dry, French rose.

So what do you serve with this wine?  (Notice how I plan my meals based on the wine I like to serve?)  Shellfish or whitefish.  Shrimp based pasta with garlic butter. 

This is a wonderful, beautiful wine that will run you around $17.  Be sure to find it and enjoy!