A bottle of Beronia Rosada in the sun yesterday
2012 Beronia Rosada Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain LCBO Vintages #323519 $14.95 (June 8th release)
What could be better than a chilled bottle of Beronia Rioja rosado on a sunny day? I’ll tell you what… TWO chilled bottles of Beronia Rioja rosado on a sunny day… out in the backyard… Perfect.
Named after a Celtic tribe, the Berones, who inhabited Rioja Alta in the 3rd Century BC, the house of Beronia dates back to 1973, being purchased by the González family (of Sherry fame) in 1982.
This brightly coloured rosado looks particularly stunning in the glass, although you’ll probably want to go for a slightly more polished one than the glass I used to take the picture above. The bouquet is one of expressive red fruit, notably fresh red currants, apples, and cherries alongside an attractive rosewater nuance. In this vintage I find the acidity to be a little more pronounced than previously, this being an extremely good thing as much rosada Rioja tends towards the mediocre, flat, and tired. This example has sufficient juicy zing for my personal taste as well as a satisfyingly full and yet dry palate of ripe red fruits, desert herbs, and an alluring floral finish, echoing the rosewater on the nose. And it’s certainly at the right pricepoint.
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… and he’ll be getting a few bottles of this when it’s released, that’s for sure.
