Great Rosé Picks For Summer

Unlike some red wines, which improve with age, rosés are best when sipped fresh. And in honor of the new 2016 vintage rosés making their way to market, we’ve rounded up a handful of bottles you’ll want to uncork all summer long.

Chateau Puech-Haut Saint-Drezery Prestige Rosé
If Provence is the poster child for great rosé, this new release from Chateau Peuch-Haut is a downright jewel. Elegant and refined, the Languedoc wine sings with orange peel and thyme, with a bright and tangy finish with plenty of bracing salinity. With a low sugar content, it works well as a pairing with creamy cheeses. $16, klwines.com

Château Soucherie Cuvée L’Astrée Rosé de Loire
An easygoing sipper from the Loire Valley in France, this light-bodied rosé features a blend of Cabernet Franc and Grolleau; the latter mostly grown in the valley. It has subdued floral notes, flirty peachy element and plenty of lingering minerality. $17.99, klwines.com

Early Mountain Rosé
Merlot grapes do particularly well in the heart of central Virginia, and Early Mountain Vineyards crafts their rosé primarily from the varietal, along with Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The result is a lovely, salmon-hued blend that opens with fresh strawberry and soft floral aromas and a bright acidity. Savory and earthy flavors of herbs and wet stone linger through a gentle finish. $24, earlymountain.com

Domaine de Cala Prestige Rosé
Brand new to the U.S. market this spring, the Prestige is an elevated take on Domaine de Cala’s flagship rosé. With increased percentages of the Grenache, Syrah, and Rolle varietals, the wine has less lingering sweetness and a more herbaceous quality than the original, with hints of thyme, grapefruit and cherry. Even though it’s barrel-aged in oak for three months, the wine remains relatively light-bodied, with soprano levels of acidity. $26, wallywine.com

Forty Ounce Rosé
The 40-ounce bottle doesn’t exactly carry a stellar reputation for the quality of the beverage contained within, but sommelier Patrick Cappiello (Rebelle) is willing to stake his own reputation to change that. Cappiello is the creator of Forty Ounce Wines, being farmed and vinified by Julien Braud in the Loire Valley, and the current offerings include a Muscadet and the rosé. Bottle gimmick aside (which, to be accurate, is actually 1 liter), the wine within is bright with tart apple and strawberry. A well-balanced acidity makes it extra drinkable, so it’s nice to have those extra ounces. $15, klwines.com

Long Meadow Ranch Rosé of Pinot Noir
At Long Meadow Ranch in the Anderson Valley, a cooler August allowed for extra ripening days. The resulting rosé of Pinot Noir has a bright acidity that dances across the tongue, with flavors of lemon zest and lots of fresh peach and apricot. It would be a natural match for summer fare and could even hold its own in a fruity sangria. $25, longmeadowranch.com

Love and Hope Rosé
Central Coast winemaker Austin Hope teamed up with Texas chef Tim Love on a quest to create a “bad-ass rosé.” The Love and Hope Rosé is blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, creating an extra juicy wine bursting with cherries and plums. Some savory aromatics of fresh herbs and a light minerality make for a crisp, pleasant finish. $20, hopefamilywines.com

M de Minuty
From the family-owned Château Minuty overlooking the Mediterranean in Côtes de Provence, this lovely, light salmon-colored rosé offers ripe peach and orange peel flavors. It’s a delicately sweet blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah—perfect for pre-dinner palate prep. $20, heightschateau.com 

Sterling Vineyards Vintner’s Collection Rosé
Value for money is the name of the game with this fresh and fruity rosé from Napa Valley’s Sterling Vineyards. Dripping with sweet strawberry and high grapefruit notes, a thread of floral orange blossom weaves throughout the flavor. A surprisingly complex find for its less than $20 price tag. $14, sterlingvineyards.com

Una Lou California Rosé of Pinot Noir
Scribe Winery co-founder Andrew Mariani welcomed his first child, daughter Una Lou, right in the middle of the 2016 harvest and crafted this bright, vibrant rosé in her honor. The canned wine opens with a crisp acidity and just a hint of effervescence that complements tart flavors of grapefruit and aromas of peach and orange blossom. $40/4-pack, unalourose.com