90 Plus Rose Of Pinot Noir

Rosé of Pinot Noir from Massachusetts sits in the cool-climate, East Coast style of dry pink wine. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned red grape, so even a short skin contact gives a pale salmon to light copper color. This bottle is labeled as a Massachusetts rosé under the Esplanda name. The label doesn't give a vintage, alcohol level or tasting notes, so what follows describes how Pinot Noir rosés from cooler New England regions usually taste, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect a light to medium body with red-berry fruit at the center: strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, often with a hint of watermelon rind, citrus zest or dried herbs. Cooler growing seasons tend to keep acidity bright and crisp, which makes these wines taste fresh and clean and leaves them with little or no perceived tannin. Pinot Noir rosés are usually fermented in stainless steel, so oak is typically absent. The finish is generally short to medium, dry and a little tangy, with a faint savory note. That acidity makes the wine easy to match with food. It suits a New England clam bake, steamed mussels, fried clams, lobster rolls and seared scallops. It also works with salmon or tuna, charcuterie, goat cheese salad, grilled chicken, and tomato-based dishes like panzanella or ratatouille. Its fruit and acidity can handle mildly spiced foods, such as shrimp tacos or Thai-style herb salads, where a heavier red would clash. Serve it chilled at roughly 8 to 11°C (46 to 52°F), which means about three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket. Colder than that and the berry aromas close up. No decanting is needed. A standard white wine glass or a tulip-shaped glass with a slight taper concentrates the delicate aromas better than a wide-bowled red wine glass. Wines of this style are made for drinking young, so treat this as a drink-now bottle: open it within a year or two of purchase. Store it cool and out of direct light until you do.