The plans for my 2015 Rosé report are coming along nicely, with wines from wineries all across the east coast (defined for the tasting wineries not in California, Oregon or Washington). This year’s tasting will have wines not only from various New York regions, but also Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan and North Carolina. The response has been humbling. Truly.

My tasting report will focus on 2015 wines, but some wineries have sent me 2014 rosé as well, including  Jones von Drehle Vineyards 2014 Rosa Dia ($18). Jones von Drehle is a relatively new producer in the Yadkin Valley AVA in North Carolina. It was established in 2007, when two families — Chuck and Diana Jones of Roswell, GA and Raymond and Ronnie von Drehle of Hickory, NC (Diana and Ronnie are sisters) discovered the 65-acre property in Thurmond, NC. The 30-acre vineyard was planted in 2009 with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Grenache, Malbec, Mourvedre, Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng. Three years later, they built the winery and then opened to the public in 2013. They only work with their own, estate-grown fruit and make around 8,000 cases of wine per year.

This 100% Grenache (clone 136) rose offers bright, fruity red berry aromas and flavors — mostly ripe strawberry — with a really interesting rooibos tea/hibiscus note and a bit of spice. It tastes dry, but in a bit of a softer style, showing nice breadth without too much weight. There is a nice bit of acidity on the end of a medium-long finish that keeps it from being heavy, but it lacks a little verve.

Producer: Jones von Drehle
AVA: 
Yadkin Valley
Brix at Harvest: 19.8
ABV:
11.4%
TA: 5.7 g/l
RS: .25%
pH: 3.62
Price: $20 (sample)
Rating: 85