2023 Ogier Côtes Du Ventoux Rosé, Rhône Valley, France (Alcohol 12.5%, Residual Sugar 2 g/l) LCBO $14.95 (750ml glass bottle)
Rosé wine is a hell of a hard habit to quit, and given the recent LCBO strike, desperate times called for desperate measures. It was shimmeringly hot out, so I was craving a chilled bottle or two of rosé, but it was even slimmer pickings than usual at my local grocery store’s LCBO corner.
I surveyed the almost-barren Soviet-era, beiger-than-beige shelving, and alongside the Berry Blast and Meiomi Pinot Noir, there stood two lonely bottles of Ogier’s Côtes Du Ventoux. What’s a man (jonesing for pink wine) to do?
Sitting on our back deck, surveying the humid and verdant space that is our backyard, I cracked open a bottle of Ogier’s salmon pink juice, took a cautious sip, closed my eyes and dreamt of Tempier.
Now, I knew that this was never going to be weapons-grade Bandol rosé—that now sells for almost $100 a bottle! but I was quite taken aback at how enjoyable this budget-friendly bottle was. I’ve tasted quite a number of cheaper rosés this summer and have been seriously disappointed with all of them. But this was actually rather tasty, and before I knew it, the two bottles had mysteriously vanished. What can I say? I was home alone and wanted to make the most of it.
It’s not complex by any measure, but it provides all one would wish from an entry-level rosé from the Rhône. To be fair, this historied Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer is no slouch on the winemaking front, and so it was heartening to see a very decent level of quality here.
The nose is quite reserved, with some subtle red cherry and honeysuckle floral notes. Interestingly, there is none of that usual red-berry fruit profile found in almost every other rosé out there, so if you are after an explosion of red berries, then this is possibly not for you.
The palate is decidedly dry, crisp, and quite mouth-filling, delivering a fair bit of texture and weight. I found some appealing rhubarb, red cherry, and watermelon flavours, leading to a modest and slightly astringent finish.
It was frighteningly easy to knock back, and nowhere near as scary as I had first considered it to be.
(Three and a half out of a possible five apples)
