The Explore 4: Rosé Revisited Gift Pack

Give the gift of “Explore 4” without the commitment!

SommSelect’s “Explore 4” surveys the vast landscape of wine and breaks it into small, digestible bites. Each month, we select four bottles that fit a theme, allowing members to experience a diversity of styles while developing their own palate preferences. It’s an ongoing exploration of wine through a sommelier’s eyes and there’s no more effective, and enjoyable, way to learn about wine.

Never mind “rosé all day.” At SommSelect, our motto is “rosé all year,” meaning its consumption should not be confined to just the summer months. Further, you should approach purchasing rosé the same way you do a white or a red: Who made it? Where is it from? Is it made with care? Is it an authentic expression of its place?

Not to be snobbish about it, but we have higher ambitions for rosé. Our message, as conveyed by the wines in this shipment, is simple: Don’t settle! Here is what is in the box:

Bastide de la Ciselette, Vin de Pays du Var Rosé 2022 

The vineyards of Bandol are arrayed across a sun-splashed, south-facing bowl that is protected by mountain ranges to the north. Even more important is the geology: pebbly clay mixed with copious amounts of limestone . Hand-harvested fruit for this benchmark rosé (60% Grenache and 40% Merlot) is macerated on its skins briefly and then pressed to tank via pneumatic press to complete fermentation. Nothing is added to supplement the wine’s high natural acidity, and it ages for roughly four months in tank before it is bottled. 

Murgo, Etna Rosato 2022

Mount Etna is known for gnarled, old, bush-trained vines with vineyard altitudes climb to 1,000 meters. Murgo farms 25 hectares in and around Zafferana Etnea, on the volcano's eastern slopes. 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes are sourced from old vines (30-40 years) on the eastern slopes of Etna; they are subjected to a cold maceration lasting about four hours, after which only the “free-run” juice (no “press wine”) is siphoned off into tanks to complete fermentation. The finished wine ages in tanks for about five months, followed by two months in bottle before release.

Bodegas Ostatu, Rioja Rosado 2022

The Sáenz de Samaniego family has been farming in Rioja Alavesa since the 16th century. Bottled wines bearing the Ostatu name first appeared in 1970, when Doroteo and María Asunción Sáenz de Samaniego were at the helm. Ostatu takes an “intentional” approach to its rosé: This is a “mountain wine” sourced from Certified Organic vineyards at more than 600 meters of elevation, combining 63% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha, and 2% of the white Viura. A short skin maceration was followed by fermentation on native yeasts in stainless steel.

Ernest Vineyards, “Eugenia,” Bruella Ranch Lodi Cinsault Rosé 2022

The Lodi AVA, located in California’s vast Central Valley, runs from the Sacramento Delta to the start of the Sierra Foothills, with vineyards rooted mostly in sandy-clay soils. Crafted from the Cinsault grape—a famously heat- and drought-resistant variety—grown at the Bruella Ranch east of Lodi.  The variety has a long history in Lodi and is well-adapted to the climate, displaying lots of natural acidity. Fermented in steel tanks after a short maceration. Just 675 cases were produced in 2022.