100 Amazing Wines 2022: 8 rosés

Drive Wines

2021 Kobus Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Rosé ($28)

John Musto and Tom Young began as garagistes, making wine in Young’s garage, from grapes grown in his home vineyard. Before that, Musto worked in finance, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and acquired a taste for wine when his parents opened bottles of old-vine zinfandel. After living in Italy for two years, he moved to Sonoma County in 2013, intent on making wine, and met Young, a graphic designer. After hobby winemaking in Young’s garage, they went pro in the garage of vineyard owner and vintage car restorer Peter Lewis. This lovely rosé was fermented in stainless steel and aged in stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels. The result is a balanced, juicy and focused wine with strawberry/tangerine/blood orange essence. Also try their 2019 Sonoma Coast Canihan Vineyard Syrah ($36), which is smartly priced and has cool-climate elegance.

Kara Marie Wines

2021 The Ra Ra Dry Creek Valley Rosé of Grenache ($26)

Mentored by her father, former Geyser Peak Winery winemaker Daryl Groom, Kara Marie Groom launched her own brand in 2021, debuting with this charming, dry, red-berry-infused rosé and a 2021 riesling from Sonoma Mountain (also $26). She’s riding the wave of young winemakers/brand owners committed to winning over new wine drinkers with bottlings that are delicious and offer a sense of fun and lack of pretension. Kara’s mantra: “Here for a good time, not a long time.” As in drink now, without overthinking.

Kobler Estate Winery

2021 Kobler Family Vineyards Rosé of Syrah Russian River Valley ($34)

In 1996, Michael Kobler, his brother Otto and their wives, Debbie and Barbara, established 4.5 acres of syrah — the northern Rhone Valley (France) foundation grape — in the chilliest part of Russian River Valley, Green Valley. At the time, syrah was widely planted throughout California, wine styles varied widely and retailers didn’t know how to sell it. The Koblers followed their instincts and stuck with the variety. This rosé is a fine introduction to cool-climate syrah, with bracing acidity supporting vivid cherry, raspberry and plum fruitiness. The Kobler syrahs ($58-$95) typically are tight upon release and beg for cellaring — strong on savory, meaty character over forward fruitiness. Patience can reward those willing to cellar them five years or more.

Lasseter Family Winery

2021 Enjoué Sonoma Valley ($35)

A rosé that doesn’t claim to be one on its label, Enjoué is an expression of Nancy and John Lasseters’ appreciation for the pink wines of southern France. Enjoué is dry — not sweet — yet brims with luscious red berry, cherry and watermelon flavors. The Lasseters’ Glen Ellen vineyard includes plantings of multiple Rhone Valley grape varieties, among them the components of Enjoué: grenache, mourvedre, syrah and counoise. The mix works wonderfully in this food-friendly, somewhat substantial rosé. Lasseter also offers a fleshy, tropically flavored 2020 Sonoma Valley sauvignon blanc-semillon blend, Voilà ($55).

Quivira Vineyards

2021 Wine Creek Ranch Dry Creek Valley Rosé ($25)

Pale salmon in color, winemaker Hugh Chappelle’s rosé has an intriguing aroma/flavor mix of blood orange, wild strawberry, raspberry and white peach and a tangy, juicy finish. It’s a near-perfect Sonoma County rosé, flavorful yet not too bold or heavy, and with mouthwatering acidity. Chappelle combined grenache (70%), counoise, mourvedre, petite sirah and primitivo into a cohesive blend. It was made with intention, with the fruit harvested and vinified specifically for rosé, not bleeding off juice from fermenting red grapes and turning the excess into rosé. Being in Dry Creek Valley, the Quivira estate also produces sauvignon blancs and zinfandels; the 2021 Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($30) and 2019 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($28) are delicious, fairly priced and relatively easy to find.

Rodney Strong Vineyards

2021 Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir ($25)

A producer of high-end rosés once indignantly asked me how a “grocery store” wine could win a gold medal in a notable competition. My answer was that in that blind tasting, the Rodney Strong wine shined far more brightly than others, without judges knowing the producer, price nor retail presence. It simply tasted more delicious. The 2021 RSV rosé fares similarly: impeccably balanced, dry and widely available — and sometimes discounted, based on volume purchases by stores. Senior vice president of winemaking and winegrowing, Justin Seidenfeld, and his team bottle high-quality wines across numerous price points; cabernet is a major focus and they produce several. I’ve long admired the Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($36) and Symmetry ($60), a Bordeaux-style red blend.

Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards

2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir Russian River Valley ($25)

Aussie native Mick Schroeter directs winemaking for Sonoma-Cutrer, which was established by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1973, as a chardonnay specialist. After Jones sold to Brown-Forman in 1999, Sonoma-Cutrer branched out to embrace other grape varieties, chief among them pinot noir. This rosé was produced from that grape, and the red-fruit side of pinot shines through, accented by hints of blood orange and pink grapefruit. It’s lip-smacking and energetic. While Schroeter and his team continue the Sonoma-Cutrer chardonnay tradition, pinot noir is where the excitement is, as evidenced by the 2018 Vine Hill Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($50), a spicy, nicely balanced wine with firm structure and subtle oak shading.

The.Grenachista

2021 Sonoma Valley Grenache Rosé ($25)

As his brand name suggests, Casey Graybehl is a grenache fanatic. He turns the southern Rhone Valley workhorse grape into grenache noir (which is red, not black), pet-nats, piquettes and this dry rosé — plus grenache blanc, still another grape variety in the Rhone family. Graybehl is the production director for Obsidian Wine Co. in Sonoma County and uses his spare time to make grenache-driven wines for his own label. The 2021 rosé has scintillating briskness and vibrant raspberry and wild strawberry scents and flavors. Another Graybehl wine to try is the 2019 Mounts Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Grenache Noir ($38).