Though I’m sure Kontokosta Winery would probably prefer to be known for its cabernet franc, merlot, chardonnay or some other wine that is typically seen as “more serious” it’s best regarded within my small circle of wine-loving friends for its rosé.
It’s a stand out — for a couple primary reasons.
First and foremost, it’s delicious. Sometimes wine geeks lose sight of this important aspect. It doesn’t really matter how a wine is made or how sustainable the viticulture is in the vineyard if the wine tastes bad or is off-putting. Deliciousness matters and this wine is delicious.
The nose is bright with fruit berry and peach fruit qualities that are accented by just a bit of spice, but we’ll get to that in a minute. The palate is fresh, clean and features beautiful acidity and balance. There’s enough fruitiness that the mid-palate also tastes slightly sweet, but a brisk, just-ripe peach tartness leads into a long finish.
The other reason this wine stands out — and stood out in a recent tasting of east coast rosés — is that it’s made with a heavy dose of syrah. There is so much merlot and cabernet franc used in local rosé (with varying results) that the fruit-spice burst of syrah makes this a rosé worth seeking out.
It pairs best with sunny days and friends, I’d say.
This wine is available at the Kontokosta tasting room in Greenport for $22.
