Wines I'm Drinking: 2010 Windsor Oaks Vineyards Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir

I opened a bottle of the 2010 Windsor Oaks Vineyards Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir tonight and was pleasantly surprised--not that I had any reason to expect this wine wouldn't be good. I was surprised simply because I like rosé and I'm always happy to find interesting ones, and many are dull. Brief tasting notes follow.

A very pretty wine--as a rosé should be. A beautiful brandy-tinged pink. Very attractive in the glass. Scents of strawberries and watermelon with a hint of caramel in the background. On the palate, very much as suggested by the nose--a sweet, fruity impression at first, suggestive of watermelon and strawberries, but also with a slightly caramelized or brandied flavor as well. Hints of cherries and almonds on a fairly extended finish. Good balancing acidity. The label calls this wine "refreshing, but NOT SWEET" (emphasis theirs), but this seems quite sweet to me. Although the label says the winemaker has modeled the wine after the very dry rosés of Europe, I would call this an off-dry rosé, not a rosé that's been fermented completely dry. Despite that, I enjoyed it. It has character--although my taste in rosé is for significantly drier wines. Retail price about $16.

(I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine.)

Wines I'm Drinking: 1999 Rutz Cellars Maison Grand Cru RRV Chardonnay

When I bought this wine I didn't look carefully at the vintage. I'm not sure I would have tried it if I had. I don't know many California Chardonnays that can age 10 years gracefully (which is not to say there are none). I didn't realize this was a wine from 1999 until I sat down to drink it.

The 1999 Rutz Cellars Maison Grand Cru Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($4.99 at Grocery Outlet) was a bright gold--very pretty in the glass--but, ominously, rather dark. I was expecting it to be somewhat oxidized. The nose, however, betrayed very little--at least at first. With some time, it began to suggest melons and then floral scents such as hawthorn and linden. These were followed by hints of Play-Doh (I wish I had a more elegant descriptor, but Play-Doh is right on the money) and finally by mint. The nose was encouraging.

On the palate, the wine came across as rather sweet, with a somewhat heavy, butterscotch flavor predominant, but it was actually more lively (had more acid, that is) than I would have thought likely. The flavors were slightly suggestive of oxidation, but the wine was not at all unpleasant and it had enough complexity to keep it moderately interesting--suggesting melons, ripe pineapples, and later honey in addition to the butterscotch. Slightly bitter on the moderately long finish.

I don't think I'll buy this particular wine again (I'm afraid it's over the hill), but  I enjoyed tasting it nevertheless and it makes me wonder what the Rutz Cellars Chardonnays are like when they are fresh. Probably well worth exploring. I enjoyed the wine with grilled chicken flavored with rosemary and Meyer lemons.

This is one of a group of wines I'm reviewing this week ahead of one of the two big wine sales Grocery Outlet holds each year (20% off all wines from March 30 through April 3), looking for underpriced gems. More tomorrow.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: As part of the promotion, I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about a one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right.)