Time to think Pink

Yeah yeah, rose being 'in' is as cliche as pink being sweet, but if any of you are like me, you're fixin' to dive into a paler hued red to beat the summer heat. An obscure little gem (for less than 10 dollars, mind you) provided me w/ just the ride I was lookin' for...and was wondering if any of you have any other 'by the case' type values out there to share so we can stock up for the sweaty days to come....

Chateau Guiot, Rose 2007

This Grenache-Syrah blend is definitely a man’s rose, w/ a deep, brilliant garnet color yielding some serious hints of red cherry pit, strawberry sauce, chalk dust and rose petals. Surprisingly thick & heady, w/ great heft for a rose in the mouth, this charges through the palate w/ force & ends on a delicious, red fruit studded note. This is a knockout value from any class; perhaps its obscure Costieres de Nimes terroir is what allows the Robert Kacher team to price this so modestly, 88 points.

Oddly enough, I scored this puppy the same as a Bandol bottling from the hallowed Domaine Ott, checking in at 4 times the price. There's a time and a place, but from a value standpoint, the Guiot is a no-brainer.

Domaine Ott, Bandol Rose 2006

Perhaps w/ a bit more muscle and a touch less finesse than their Provence Rose, the Bandol ’06 shows an alluring copper hue that foreshadows subtle flower, peach skin, iron, strawberry seed and golden delicious apple notes. Over the past few vintages, the impeccable texture of this rose is what sets it in the standard bearer role, w/ a brisk drive to the extremely rounded, plush core of ethereal flavors that have nary a rough edge to be found. While I still find a touch more excitement and complexity in Tempier’s Bandol, this has got be as suave as rose gets, 88 points.