The UnCorker

A Manly Rosé: Parés Baltà Ros De Pacs

June 22, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

One of the tiredest arguments in all of winedom is that drinking rosé is nothing to be embarrassed about anymore.   But let’s face it – unless you’re standing on a petanque court with a bunch of Provencal pensioners- it’s not really something dudes order when they are out amongst themselves.  After all, the stuff’s pink.  And that’s all we need to say.  Therefore, those of us who lack total confidence in our ability to project manliness are drawn towards the dark and cranberry-tinted- the more extracted, medium weight entries of the genre.   These look a little less effete in the glass to the casual observer.  And if it tastes strong and bites back a little on the finish so much the better.  Nothing wrong with a little burn going down to compensate for the summery breeziness of the whole thing.

The king of manly Rosés in our opinion is Tavel AOC.   King Philip IV drank the stuff on horseback and declared it the only wine worth drinking – and this from a somber Spaniard who is on record for only laughing in public three times in his entire life.  Tavel can be a full-bodied monster that stands up to aging.  Known for candied aromas but often having surprising gravitas, Tavel’s masculinity is evident in it’s color and intensity of flavor.   But unlike a lot of ham-fisted new world attempts at big rosé – a contradiction in terms that denies what is nice about pink wine in the first place – it maintains it’s lightness, it’s minerality, and it’s refreshing acidity.  For the most part we agree with BTYH that the best rose’s come from France, but if we have a soft spot for dark, macerated asskickers it’s because it appeals to the dude in us (at least, those of us at the UnCorker who are dudes.)

That brings us to one of our favorite $10 summer treats – the Parés Baltà Ros De Pacs.   Spain, and in particular Rioja, is on the forefront of serious rosés, and if you have $30 with which to go pink you can try one of the undisputedly macho offerings from Vina Todonia or Lopez de Heredia.   But if you want to pound a few glasses out by the grill head to this modernized producer from Penedès.  An intense cranberry color promises something floral and sweet on the nose – and then it hits you with a blast of salty, off-dry, minerality on the palate.   It’s made with Merlot and Cabernet Savignon, put through a natural gravity press.  The fermentation is stopped short so that some residual sugar and a fresh quality from the must is retained.  Did we mention this is certified organic? Delicate, this is not.  Girly-men, beware.