Every year I find myself loving rosé more and more. At its best it’s a light, refreshing wine with floral, mineral, fruit and spice characteristics with vibrant acidity and and a smooth mouthfeel. And some of the best rosés I’ve tasted have been made from grenache, as this one is.
At one time a few years ago I had read that grenache is the most widely planted grape in the world. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but it is definitely grown extensively. Many wines from France, particularly in the Rhone region are made with grenache and it’s a popular grape in Spain too, where they call it garnacha.
While it’s often used to produce red wines, it’s very common in rosé. This one comes from the Cariñena DO, which is one of the oldest protected wine growing areas in Europe.
The nose of this wine is delightful, offering soft floral aromas layered with wet stone, peach, strawberry and citrus aromas. The palate is also quite nice, delivering peach and berry along with wet stone mineral flavors. The acidity is sufficient and the mouthfeel is pleasant. The finish is tasty also fairly short.
Overall, it’s a pretty tasty wine and is and is an exceptional Trader Joe’s bargain.
Wine: La Granja Garnacha Rosé
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $4.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
