Wine Wednesday - 2011 Castillo De Tafalla Rosado Garnacha Rosé

So Ashley belongs to Nakedwines.com. Naked Wines is a crowd funded investment in independent wine-makers. These can vary from quite well-known wine-makers experimenting on the side or those new to the biz who are trying to get their start. The result is some fantastic wines that are dirt cheap and fun to try. Occasionally you get something that isn't so great, but the good news is that you can order more of what you like and avoid what you don't. At these price points it doesn't really matter.

We have had some fantastic wines and the whole system with Naked Wines is pretty interactive such that wines you may like are recommended to you as you poke around the options. So far, the algorithm used is pretty spot on for the taste you are looking for.

That brings us to today's varietal. This is a tasty Rosé that is perfect for a warm summer afternoon. The wine-maker is Benoit Dreyer and he is pretty accessible to chat with through Naked Wines, even though he is halfway around the world in Spain. Sometimes I have to sit back and realize how amazing the interweb is to allow that to happen. Anyways, it's a refreshing drink that will have to be ordered again and I cant wait to try the 2012 vintage!

2011 Castillo De Tafalla Rosado Garnacha Rosé, Navarra Spain

The Rosado Garnacha is a like pink-red color expected of a Rosé, it is light and needs that extra chilled crispness in my opinion.

The nose is refreshing with a strong hit of strawberry and some hints of apple.

Very good balance of sugar and acid, the Rosado Garnacha is not too sweet and fairly dry, which is a big plus for me. The acidity is strong enough that it finishes with a good crisp edge.

The second day the edge fell off a bit but opened up in the strawberry flavor which I found a bit surprising and I preferred this glass slightly warmed up a bit more than the previous day where I preferred the extra chill.

While the Castillo De Tafalla would be a great pool side afternoon wine by itself, it also would pair nicely with some dishes that have some spice to them, I'm thinking carne asada or fish street tacos. A good spicy sausage seafood paella would also pair well with this Rosé.

Overall, I'd buy again, especially since it's a sub-$10 price point and would love to have a few bottles lying around this summer. Definitely drink by 2013 and I'm interested how the 2012 tastes that comes out soon.

Cost: $6-$10