Spring is coming early to New York City. Tiny crocuses are already shooting up through the earth, and the temperatures have already reached 70 degrees at least once. It's hard not to feel optimistic as the sun shines, and the air smells like green things growing. Winter's cold becomes a distant memory as soon as I see the buds on the trees, and I feel like it's time to celebrate a new season, and the summer to come.
It's time to welcome rosé season in all its glory! While I myself like to enjoy a serious rosato the whole year around--Raffaele Palma's steely Salicerchi is a favorite--there's no question that spring feels like the right season for blush wines. They match the color scheme, for one thing, and they match the flavor profiles, which is even more important. Yet more vital, they match the mood. There's a lightness, a freshness, and a brightness to a really good rosé from Provençe or Sancerre that feel good in spring. You'll find seven beautiful French rosé wines featured below, and each one is simply lovely, affordable and delicious. Open a bottle of rosé and welcome spring. It's only natural.
You'll also find one very serious vintage Aglianico from Mastroberardino. Every time I drink this '73 Tauraci Radici, I am blown away anew. It's like sitting down to watch a forty-year-old film that looks contemporary and vital, even radical, while still being something that could only come from four decades ago. Finally, Chablis season follows rosé season, and you'll want to have Christian Moreau on hand. There's a bottle of the domaine's 2014 Chablis Vaillon offered below that you won't want to miss.
Enjoy!
