Saturday, May 26, 2018

Gérard Bertrand Cotè des Roses (2016) Wine Review




Attention Costco shoppers! Recently my husband and I decided to get a Costco membership.  The decision actually had nothing to do with wine, but this week it relates. The Costco experience - though I’m sure savings abound with each supersized item - isn’t really my cup of tea. As a result, my husband tends to make the Costco run on his day off.  It normally consists of a great deal on bottled water and whatever other irresistible deals he might come across.  Thankfully, he’s quite disciplined. 

This last week, he checked out the wine department. He found that they carry my “house white” (If you’ve been following this blog, you know what that is) at a great price so he bought several bottles.  I had given him suggestions for wines to purchase, but they weren’t based on him shopping at Costco.  Anyway, I’d suggested he surprise me with a new rosé, and so he did.  It was there that he found this week's Wine Wednesday feature, the 2016 Gérard Bertrand Cotè des Roses.
The winemaker’s website suggests that this is a bottle of wine you would give in the same way as a bunch of roses. If we’re talking about a plastic wrapped bouquet of supermarket roses, perhaps I agree. I’m not dogging supermarket roses, I’ve been gifted them, and appreciate them.  What I am referring to, is the price point.  At about $13 a bottle (around $17 elsewhere), it may be an even better choice.

First off, one has to mention the bottle – the presentation is stunning. Tip the bottle upside down and notice the base is in the shape of a rose.  The pale pink glass cork-stopper is beautiful and reseals fabulously. It’s a bottle that makes you consider repurposing.



The wine, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah is the color of farm-raised salmon. On the nose, stone fruit, papaya, floral notes and a hint of ripe ruby red grapefruit. Though the prevalent fruit on the palate isn’t sweet enough for this wine to be considered off-dry, it has inclinations.   The finish, though a bit lackluster, still makes for a great summer sipper.  When you don’t want anything too assertive to distract from your afternoon read on the patio, which is how I enjoyed my first glass, this is the one.

Later we enjoyed it with a dinner of Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos.  I decided to forego the tempura batter and simply grill the fish by brushing it with olive oil and lightly seasoning with sea salt and pepper. It was a pairing well worth repeating. Try also with a Boiled Shrimp Cocktail. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.











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