Every time Greg comes on the show, it’s rather obvious that dry wines aren’t his thing.  Not only is this true of wine, but he also tends to lean toward cider or lambics over beer, and fruity, sweet cocktails.  That’s just the way his palate is.  Unfortunately, Bruts and champagne aren’t going to necessarily make New Years a happy occasion for anyone who leans in the sweet direction.  However, there are alternatives in France, such as Cuvée Laurent Muscat Rosé.

Made from the Muscat grape, which is more recent memory has been getting a lot of it’s face time as Moscato.  This grape is renown for it’s musky character, and tendency to make bright, happy, slighty fizzy, wines that can be either dry or sweet. In the case of the Cuvée Laurent Muscat, it has been turned into a Rosé which is no guarantee of sweetness.  So can it please the sweet palates, or is this one just for the dry folks?  

Sight:  A pinkish orange.

Smell: There’s a small amount of farm fresh smell that lingers over the top, but behind it are notes of strawberry and light raspberry.

Sip:  There’s a subtle sweetness, and a slight earthy background.  There’s almost an instant flavor of roses that evolves, being joined by tangerines and clementines.  [A.B.V.  11.5%]

Savor:  There’s a lot of strawberry and rose that lingers on the finish, with just a touch of tangerine.

Overall, Cuvée Laurent Muscat Rosé pleasantly surprising in a very rosy sort of way.  The subtle sweetness, and the bitter characteristics of a rose play well with the light sweetness that muscat brings to the party.  The underlying earthiness help to bring another dimension to the wine.   It’s a great way to kick off a party before moving on to heavier things.

Verdict:  Rosy posy
Price: $9.99
Brignoles, France