The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Adelaida District

Varietal   Rosé Blend

Retail Price   $35

ABV   13.5%

Score   4.5 Stars/95 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, deep coral color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of raspberry, strawberry, and slate with supporting notes of cranberry, rose petals, and hibiscus flower.

The palate echoes the nose delivering a red fruit-driven core with flavors of red plum, mulberry, and red grapefruit. The finish is tart with hints of citrus and tart red berries.

Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with a vibrant texture.

Cool Factor

Let's just say that we have yet to find a Tablas Creek wine that is not cool. We have been a big fan of Dianthus from our very first sip. This is a Rosé like no other.

Value Grade

This is not a bargain Rosé but it's a value in our book when you consider the incredible quality, relative scarcity, and idiosyncratic flavors.

Analysis

Dianthus — the most red Rosé you’ll ever sip — is a unique blend from four estate-grown varietals (42% Mourvedre, 40% Grenache, 17% Counoise, and 1% Cinsaut). For the first time in 2021 Cinsault is included in the blend. These grapes come from Tablas Creek’s oldest section of French-sourced vines first planted in 1994. Dianthus refers to a genus of flowering plants known for their deep pink blossoms and known colloquially to gardeners as "pinks". The 2021 vintage began after a chilly and relatively dry winter. This resulted in small clusters and berries with total yields down about 25%. However, the growing season was great with hot periods followed by cool stretches. The resulting fruit was concentrated and intense with high acid levels — the highest since 2011. The majority of the juice for this great wine is a result of co-fermenting the varietals and allowing a robust 36 hours of direct skin contact. This is what gives Dianthus such deep and vibrant color, as well as a red wine-like structure. Delicious!

How to Enjoy

Dianthus is a spectacular food wine pairing well with everything from sushi to BBQ ribs. We love it with fried baccala and Thai fish cakes.