It’s 95 degrees on Cape Cod this week, so light and bright are the watchwords for recent wine selections. Red or white, we’re drinking wines that don’t weigh us down like the wine we drink in December when the sun has disappeared at 4:30pm.
White/Rosé
Lorenzo Negro San Martin Rosato – $19/bottle
A certain long-time VinoDuo reader swoons over Nebbiolo, the red wine grape from Italy’s northern Piedmont region. Lisa has, shall we say, not appreciated the robust taste of this tannic wine. But in the hands of the eponymous winemaker Negro Lorenzo, a Nebbiolo rosé becomes a zippy treat, with bright acidity and a little spice. If you’re looking for a soda pop sipper, forget it. This is a serious wine…but the bright pink color will put a smile on your face.
Costaripa Rosamara 2018 – $20/bottle
Another Italian rosato, this from the northern Lombardy region. A blend of Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese, and Barbera, Lisa enjoyed this unusual blend at Osteria La Civetta, our favorite Italian restaurant on the Cape. The wine list is exclusively Italian (as are the owner and the chef.) The dare I say “blush” colored Costaripa rosé is crisp, dry and full of strawberry flavor. But again, a complex wine to be savored not chugged.
Domaine Jean Aubron Sauvignon Blanc, Val de Loire 2018 – $15/bottle
We enjoyed this crisp, dry French Sauv Blanc on a deck in Wellfleet (Cape Cod). Served with smoked blue fish paté, it was an absolute delight on a warm summer night.
Red
Round Pond Estate 2017; Rutherford Napa Cabernet – $75
Another friend and loyal VinoDuo reader has a name that sounds suspiciously like Round Pond. That’s what prompted us to first taste this winner from Rutherford a few years back. In July, we opened the 2017 vintage to share with this friend. We noted the dark garnet color and a nose of vanilla, leather, and burnt chocolate. Fruit forward with good tannic structure and a silky palate of medium-to-dark fruit, some licorice, and long, dry finish. The price point is a bit above our typical buy but that’s the price of friendship 🙂
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