Coto De Hayas rosado 2007

Producer: Coto De Hayas
Country: Spain
Region: Campo De Borja
Vintage: 2007
Style: Rose
Grapes: Mostly Garnacha, some Tempranillo, a little Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay.
Declared Alcohol (on label): 13%
Approximate Price: $6/Glass
Date Reviewed: 6/23/2009
Reviewed By: Galen Ricci

Appearance:
Clear with a medium crimson color, thin watery edge and average legs.

Nose:
Clean (no cork faults or oxidization). The aroma had a medium intensity with youthful notes of, cranberry, cranberry juice, strawberry and orange peel/zest.

Palate:
As expected the wine was dry with medium to medium + acid, medium body, medium alcohol, and no perceivable tannins. The flavors maintained a medium intensity with notes of tart cranberry, sour strawberry, red cherry, and a touch of orange zest. The finish had a medium length.

Conclusion:
This rose's quality was good. The price range fell between inexpensive and mid-priced. As for the development, the wine is ready to drink and should not be aged.

Author's Notes:
I tasted this wine at a local restaurant and I was surprised because this wine looked and smelled almost exactly like fresh cranberry juice. I bet I could have fooled someone into thinking it was cranberry juice, until they took a sip. Of course this wine was served chilled, so I waited until it came closer to room temperature before taking any notes. As it warmed up the bouquet started to show a few more characteristics than just cranberry juice, but those aromas were faint, and even though I had my nose within millimeters of the wine, I was really searching for some extra descriptors. I would feel comfortable saying that the bouquet on this wine was a "one and a half" trick pony, but the jury is still out as I should really taste this wine again when Im sure its at room temp rather than guessing while sitting at the bar. Hey I was thirsty, so give me a break.

The flavors on the palate were much more defined showing red fruits (cranberry, strawberry, cherry), with a touch of citrus (orange zest), and this was well balanced with good acidity (very important in my mind). I also enjoyed the body because it had a pleasant weight that seemed to provide substance to the wine. The finish was also very nice since it lasted for a reasonable length and didnt show any signs of bitterness (sometimes I find that in large production roses because the crushing method might be a little more aggressive and the bitter oils from the seeds end up in the juice).

The palate was a more expressive than the bouquet, but there weren't layers of flavors to intrigue my taste buds for hours of enjoyment. Instead this wine was very straight forward and to the point, and that point was cranberry! Which isnt a bad thing especially at this price. While I was sitting at the bar I conducted an experiment and tasted this wine with two types of cheese. First bree, second gorgonzola. As to be expected it was delightful with the bree. The acidity of the wine cut through the creaminess of the bree, and added a little bit of pleasantly tart fruit to the rich cheese, an nice combination. As for the gorgonzola, well that was a completely different story, I wasnt expecting a good pairing, but I didnt expect a train wreck in my mouth either. What came together in my mouth was a train wreck with a truck full of cow shit. *Note to self, dont try that combo again, even if its for the science of wine pairings*

When it was all said and done I did enjoy this wine for providing me with a well priced, straight forward, all around good rose. This is a wine that doesnt require much thought because it puts everything in front of the consumer and doesnt have anything to hide. I would score this wine 87 points, since its balanced and enjoyable. If I paid 6 dollars for a glass then I bet it would be on a wine shelf at a retail store for around $9-$12, which is a stellar price. If anyone know how much this wine costs retail I would like to know.