Anthony Lombardi

9.1

Bright, mild red berry notes on the nose giving way to some earthy melon on the palate. Love the acid balance on this wine. Consistently good each vintage. Perfect weeknight stuff. — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Great way to start! — 7 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.6

What a way to start the final day of #carmelgourmetfest . So delicate and so complex. Absolutely stunning bottle of wine. Dom rose is the only dom... Drank this with friends while the krug tasting was in full swing downstairs from us — 7 years ago

with Lee

Gunja Gargeshwari

9.4

my favorite champagne rose - best way to start any night! — 8 years ago

with Jason, Norman and 2 others

Alec

9.5

YES. Quintessential Bandol rose. — 8 years ago

Beau Carson

9.1

Great rose. Perfect way to celebrate the first 80 degree day of the year. — 8 years ago

Scott McWhorter

9.6

What can I say, I love this stuff! Have drinken quite a bit of it this week and as always love the slight spritz and balance initially...so drinkable, but new takeaways for me...cand def age this wine; and calling it a Rose is a bit of a disservice to its versatility. Held up all the way theough a meal of shrimp and heirlooms to Filet Mignon with Port/Gorgonzola sauce. Just amazing as always...my desert island wine. — 9 years ago

Michael Housewright

Writer/Photographer Wine Enthusiast Magazine

9.3

Gorgeous as always. It's no longer a good value (in any way) but it's damn fine. — 9 years ago

Timothy Lynch

9.1

Can a rosé ever deserve a scoring over 90? Usually not. But this workhorse of the Peyrassol lineup is killer. I've passed on Provence rosé these past few years. Way too crowd pleasing for me. But if you like your rosé chiseled, laser focused and with not a hint of manipulation then introduce yourself to this beauty. Very, very impressive. — 6 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.6

It might shock you, but my favorite rosé is not French but instead comes from California! Blasphemy, I know - but Bedrock's Ode to Lulu is just that good. The difficulty is actually finding a bottle. For the last three years, I've only been allocated a case (or less) to sell here in Denver. It's possible you are one of the select few I've actually told about this wine... If not, now is your chance. This is the first year there's an "okay" supply. It won't last, but you should be able to get a bottle.

So yes, it's not French but it's made in the same style and method of Tempier Bandol Rosé- the most sought after, cult rosé out there. The name "Ode to Lulu" is actually an homage to the 4.5 foot tall, 101 year old woman named "Lulu" Peyraud (born Lucie Tempier) whose father gifted the Mourvedre heavy estate to her and her husband Lucien Peyraud. The wines they would go on to produce from the 1940's onward quite literally defined Bandol and put it on the map as some of the best rosés out there. She's still alive and presumably drinking plenty of wine.

This California-born "Ode to Lulu" is modeled after the great Tempier, but has some unique properties compared to it's French namesake. For one, the vines are EXTREMELY old. Tempier defined itself by focusing on old Mourvèdre and Grenache plantings, but even these French vineyards cannot compare to what Bedrock is working with in California. If you don't know, Bedrock is the winery of Morgon Twain Peterson, son of legendary Ravenswood founder Joel Peterson. Morgon grew up making wine and through his father has cultivated relationships with some of the most important heritage vineyards in California. The "Ode to Lulu" is made from Mourvèdre and Grenache planted as far back as 1888! These are some of the oldest plantings of these grapes around and make for unbelievable wines. Tempier's average vine age is around 40 years old today. Bedrock's is over 3x as old. Insane.

Morgon may be young, but he has a life time of winemaking experience. He started making wine with his father when he was 5 years old and hasn't stopped yet. In addition to absorbing his father's knowledge on heritage vineyards, he is a real student in the world of wine, earning a "Masters of Wine" designation (this industry's highest achievement). I've been drinking his wine for several years and I can say that his wine is made extremely thoughtfully and with expert attention to detail. This is true even with a wine as humble as rosé.

Unlike most California pink wine, Bedrock is not produced by "bleeding off" juice from a red wine. Instead, the grapes are picked early and separately at very low potential alcohols, and whole cluster pressed with low extraction. This preserves the freshness and acidity, creating a wine of clarity. In an old blog post I dug up, Morgon explains this idea:

"I pick at potential alcohols lower on the scale where brightness and lift still exist. This is not to say that fruit does not matter—I use Mourvedre from a block planted over 120 years ago for requisite concentration of complexity of flavor—but like fine champagne, the wonders of rosé lie in its unbearable lightness of being."

I agree with this idea of rosé and I think most people instinctively do as well. It's no coincidence that our best selling bottles come from provence. However, I urge you to pick up at least one bottle of this Ode to Lulu. It's a wine that's close in spirit to the best French rosé but made from vineyards that are American and unrivaled in age.

This is the fourth vintage of Ode to Lulu I've tasted, and I would say that's the most elegant yet. The 2015 was maybe my favorite for it's depth and I picked a few up to age, drinking my last bottle recently... This new vintage is great now, but it will reward with a short cellaring time. Honestly, if you can hide 2 bottles and drink them before fall or into next year, you will be blown away. Bandol rosé is a wine that improves dramatically over the course of 6 months to several years (Tempier Rosé is known to go decades). This bedrock is no different.

I can personally attest to past vintages gaining depth with time. How is this possible? Unlike other rosé which should be drank young, Bandol and Ode to Lulu are made of Mourvedre, a grape that is naturally reductive and resistant to oxidation. Further, the acidity is high and alcohol low. As the acidity starts to fall away, a depth and richness of character will emerge. In fruitier/riper rosé with more alcohol, this richness becomes too sweet and cloying... Not the case here. This keep balanced through time, gaining complexity while remaining refreshing. 

You should buy this wine. However, I think there is one more important facet to rosé that I should mention before you do... Rosé is not always about what's in the glass itself. Rosé is really an ethereal thing... It's more so an "essence" of terroir and vintage rather than a sturdy, hard representation like red wine is... Sorry if that doesn't make sense but what I'm trying to say is that sometimes rosé is more about the place and the people you enjoy it with than the exact flavors themselves. Of course, we cannot all visit the picturesque village of Bandol to visit Lulu Peyraud; but I think, with this sunny Colorado weather, we can come close. Perhaps Morgon said it better than I can:

"Proper rosé is refreshing, life-nourishing stuff that revives the soul... I drink as much for pure pleasure as for intellectual stimulation. In the warmer months there is something sacred about a late afternoon meal of cold chicken, fresh garden tomatoes, and rosé. It is one body in the sacred trilogy of rustic simplicity." - Morgon Twain Peterson

#rose #oldvine #lulu #tempier #bedrockwineco — 7 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.2

So delicious and an awesome way to start the night. — 9 years ago

with Ilida

Cured - Will And Coral Frischkorn

9.1

Starting to soften and lose its youthful edge just that touch...in a really nice way. A treat any afternoon. — 9 years ago

Bryant Bickel

9.4

2010 Soter Brut Rose. Banging good, nice salinity with bright lean strawberries and apricots, lovely orange kiss on the tongue and in the color. The balance of the acidity and texture and the way the flavors linger for a lifetime.
One of my favorites one of the best in America! — 9 years ago

Rick K

9.1

What better way to get ready for the Super Bowl than wings and Tavel? Bright, strawberry and melon. Light and elegant vintage. — 6 years ago

Lloyd McCall

9.4

New Year’s Eve Great way to finish 2018 and start 2019. — 6 years ago

Alexis Whitesides

9.4

Rosé season has begun!! Great way to start it out. Strawberries with a touch of salt! — 7 years ago

with Andrew

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

NYE =‘s Krug Rosé. I can’t say I completely agree with what the Krug fireplace mantel suggests, but it’s certainly very delicately delicious and will put a guaranteed smile on your face! The mouthfeel is entirely feminine. The micro bubbles are unmistakable Krug and made with great precision. Fruits of; black raspberries, black cherry, cherries, watermelon mid way to the rhine, strawberries & understated citrus notes with pink grapefruit dominating the blend. The fruits are so restrained but are perfectly styled on the leaner side yet so ripe, juicy and delicious. There’s brioche but it comes fresh from the best of Parisian bakeries. Sea spray, minerality that is so soft & delicate, it’s hard to call it minerality. Krug Rosé reveals the very best, smooth, silky, velvety chalkiness that can be found on this planet. Pink roses/florals for days. Perfect acidity and a glorious, long, rich, beautiful finish that doesn’t end. If you enjoy wines that show pure elegance, perfect finesse and haven’t had Krug Rosé, treat yourself to a bottle or a split. The split may leave you wanting more. However, I can’t think of a better wine/way to celebrate the current year and bring in the next. Happy New Year all! May 2018 be peaceful, successful and spent with your family, best friends, prodigious wines and excellent food pairings! — 7 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.0

When it's 90 degrees in San Diego, really chilled, crisp, and dry Rose is the answer. Especially on a Friday afternoon. This Cote de Provence is very nice. Trending towards dry Riesling, just the way I like it. Nice minerals. Rating confirmed at NCWC for their top 10 '17. WS 90 Pts as well. — 8 years ago

Kevin Lord

9.8

A deceptively sweet nose gives way before a pleasing, zippy acidity that cuts through a harmonious blend of minerality and notes of strawberry. Light effervescence completes the package. I paired this with New Mexico-style red chile and somehow, this wine was not only not overwhelmed, it shone even brighter. Fantastic! #schlossgobelsburg #roséseasonneverends #osterreich #austria — 9 years ago

Nate Miles

9.3

Yes, it is worth it. — 9 years ago