WBW#35: Passionate Spanish Wines

• Taste a Spanish wine – either white or red
• Try to keep it under US$10 
• Stay away from Rioja!

Well it just happened that I had the perfect wine on-hand that I’d been hoping to open soon.  However, it actually wasn’t either white or red but instead is a rosé!  And it turns out with the heat wave the country is currently experiencing – even here in the Seattle area the temperatures are predicted to be close to or at 100°F for the next couple days – this wine would be perfect for cooling you down! 

I actually bought this wine last year as one of the wines for my (overly) ambitious plans for rosé tasting all summer long.  I don’t remember the exact price but I’m fairly confident it was between $10 – $12.  And it is from Penedes, which is about an hour south of Barcelona and is known for whites, reds and cavas – Spain’s version of sparkling wine. 

This rosé I selected, 2005 Pares Balta Ros de Pacs rosé caught my eye for a couple of reasons.  The color is intense!  Way darker than most rosés, yet still crystal clear.  Upon examining the label more closely I noted that the grapes were Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot something I don’t remember seeing on a rosé label in the past. 

As you can see from the photo this wine is very pretty and almost the color of strawberry or cherry Koolaid!  I served this wine very chilled.  The nose is super delicate, much lighter than expected given the deep color.  I could just get a whiff of creamy strawberry, if I worked at it. 

The taste, however is much more assertive!  There was still some strawberry and some cherry – but more like dried fruits than fresh.  A hint of floral.  I thought that rose didn’t seem quite right that it seemed more like geranium and so I consulted my wine wheel to see what description was closest to geranium and was very surprised to see that is an actual descriptor!  I believe this is the first time I’ve ever used it!

This wine is off-dry, not really sweet but not quite as acidic as some. Each sip pleasantly lingers and then fades leaving you feeling refreshed.  

I thought it was quite nice on it’s own but also paired it with a Thai inspired chicken recipe that had a bit of heat to it and caprese salad.  The wine went well with this meal the coolness of the rosé negating the heat of the chicken.  

The only thing I did not care for was when the wine warmed up the flavor became very maraschino cherryish and sweeter.  I don’t like maraschino cherries so I did not think this was a good thing.  Then again, I like my rosé chilled so normally this would not be an issue.

I think this is a great choice for summer sipping!  It’s beautiful, tasty, will cool you down and at this price could easily be a party wine – what more can you ask for?