Sunday, January 16, 2011

ANGOVE NINE VINES GRENACHE SHIRAZ ROSÉ 2010

- South Australia
- $8-$17
- Screwcap
- 12.5%alc

If the (pale-pink) rosé revolution has begun, then someone forgot to tell Adelaide's larger retail chains. A luminescent selection of hot pink and vivid red styles was all I could find in the fridge section of Australia's best known retailer recently. So when forced to choose, my inner pink drinker swayed towards the generally reliable, fairly priced Angove Nine Vines.

Simultaneously predictable and surprising, yet simple and appealing, Angove's very popular Nine Vines Rosé shows the expected aromas of glacé cherries and sweet raspberry with a less anticipated yet more welcomed touch of spice; perhaps white pepper and clove. Its consumer friendly appearance and aromatic suggestions lead into a smooth, ripe strawberries and cream palate that is bound by some candied aspects, but it's held together by enough genuinely slurpable, mid-weighted textures and a soft, limey acid wash to make for a good quaff. Initially, when pulled straight out of the fridge and drunk with haste, it ends a bit dirty, but some air, slight warmth and a little time in the glass see the finish clarify and smooth out somewhat, making the experience that much better.

ü The better vintages of Angove's Nine Vines remind me of a scaled down version 0f Charles Melton's excellent Rose of Virginia, and the 2010 has done just that. For $12, I wouldn't ask for much more. Drink now.
87 points


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