Nothing funny about feldspar

In the summertime, Plagioclase and I trade in our kick-in-the-head reds for European rosés (no white zinfandel please). European rosés tend to be much drier than their American counterparts, though nice dry American rosés can be had, they are not as easy to find as decent Loire-valley rosés or tonight’s taste: a Spanish rosé.

We drank a 2005 Marqués de Cáceres “Dry Rose Wine” from the Rioja region. There is a little holographic label stating that it is D.O.C. ($6.99)

Here’s the marketing text on the label:

Marqués de Cáceres dry rosé is an exceptional Rioja, full of fruit, yet still light on the palate. The finest grape varieties from the best Rioja vinyards give it a perfect balance…. It is especially recommended with hors d’oeuvres, paella, seafood and chicken.

Unlike many rosés (dry or not-dry), this one didn’t feel like it was full of granulated sugar, nor did it feel like I was drinking pickle juice. It did have a nice balance for tart and sweet (it is really hard to find a really dry rosé in my normal price range), but I didn’t think of it as especially fruity, nor particularly complex. I liked it quite a bit, though. Plagioclase says, “It’s a perfectly good thirst-quencher wine.” I agree.

I won’t shy away from getting this one again.

Plagioclase: B
Orthoclase: B