Two new sparkling rosés reviewed
Plus, an interview with the world's most popular n/a wine brand
Happy Friday party people!
Today is the first official day of Spring but over here we already had fake spring and are into winter number two. But…I still had rosé on my mind because we’re heading into Easter and Mother’s Day and need some fun pink bubbles to celebrate with. I got you covered! Two new bubblies reviewed today, and one is YUM and the other is ho-hum.
A little bit of a different newsletter today - it’s March Break for us, and I decided to take some time off to spend with my kids so the reviews are right here in the newsletter, no need to click away. Enjoy and happy sipping!
It’s time for some bubbly rosé
Traditionally made sparkling rosé starts as a base wine, then goes through a second fermentation to create bubbles, most famously in the bottle as in Champagne-style production.
With dealcoholized sparkling rosé, the process is a bit different. A finished rosé wine is made first then the alcohol is removed. The challenge is always preserving aroma and structure after the alcohol is stripped out, so producers will adjust acidity and sweetness. The liquid is then carbonated to introduce the bubbles, which also enhances flavour and aroma.
Missing Thorn Sparkling Rose
As you know, I loved the Missing Thorn red blend and was really looking forward to trying the new sparkling rosé vintage. Missing Thorn is produced in California by winemakers Aaron Pott and Stephanie Honig who utilize native varietals to develop wines without alcohol that both reflect the region and dealcoholize well.
This is their newest sparkling rosé vintage using California-grown Zinfandel which is a perfect varietal to use for both a rosé and a dealcoholized wine.
Aroma
On the nose, just a slight hint of strawberry jam and grapefruit.
Taste
This bottle was extremely chilled when I first opened it and I initially didn’t think there was much more than notes of blackberry and stone fruit and some acidity. But then, when the wine started to open up and warm up just slightly all of sudden, zing! A nice vein of minerality and a hint of salinity appeared and YUM! Balanced really nicely with the fruit and medium acidity.
Mouthfeel & Experience
The bubbles are well-formed and crisp, but the mousse didn’t stick around for long - it did start to round out a little, but that didn’t detract from the experience.
Overall
If you are patient and let this wine breath, you will be rewarded with a great non-alcoholic bubbly that really reflects the winemakers passion for terroir and nuance. It’s a very nicely made, well-rounded sparkling rosé that will be a crowd-pleaser and will pair well with brunch or lunch fare.
Score: 95 points
Where to buy Missing Thorn: Most retailers have the old sparkling rosé still in stock, but the Missing Thorn website has the new version - make sure you are buying the sparkling zinfandel.
Kolonne Null Sparkling Rosé
If you caught last week’s newsletter, you’ll have read that I did not like the Kolonne Null red wine. So I had high hopes for the sparkling rosé because the sparkling category is always a little easier to get right. I STILL have not had a chance to try their riesling and apparently that is their best one.
Regardless, here are my thoughts on the Kolonne Null sparkling rosé. This sparkling rosé is crafted from European grown syrah and grenache, and can boast that it is certified vegan, gluten free and organic. For the sugar-curious, there is 4.5g/150ml (5oz) serving - slightly on the higher side.
Aroma
Fruity with a hint of a funk - interesting!
Taste
It’s lightly sweet with a hint of aromatics, strawberry, brioche and plums with medium-minus acidity. I really liked that there was no ‘citrus’ in the profile which is nice because the acidity is coming through from the tart fruit instead. It has a really well balanced juiciness but no complexity at all. I’m not a winemaker, but it’s pretty common knowledge when you at have added sugar in dealcoholized wine, it’s always going to homogenize the natural flavours.
The biggest turn-off was the chemical taste. It’s just a tiny hint of something artificial but it ruined it for me.
Mouthfeel & experience
There is a very fine mousse that sticks around for most of the glass instead of dissipating as it warmed.
Overall
This is more of a European style sparkling rosé than Missing Thorn. I wished for more complexity and deeper aromatics, and as mentioned, was really disappointed with the hint of something artificial in both the taste and smell.
Score: 89 points
That’s it for today! Have a great weekend everyone,
-Sarah Kate