I've got plenty of snarky things to say about rosé these days, but then along comes this gem - available probably everywhere - and it makes me happy. Rosé is a lot cheaper (and faster) to make than the red wine the grapes would otherwise be vinted into. And thanks to its popularity, particularly with a less-discerning demographic (it is trending heavily with hipsters and bros), wineries the world over are cranking it out in such a hurry that quality appears to be an afterthought voiced in a giggle. The marketplace is so saturated in medicrre rosé, you have to be willing to suffer through a lot of duds before landing a delight. Here's one of those:
2018 Chateau Ste Michelle Rosé Columbia Valley $10
The label says that it's crisp, dry, and elegant. I agree, though it's probably more crowd-pleasing than elegant. Nevertheless, it's also lip-smacking delish and has - wait for it - character. All this for $10? And I grabbed it at the grocery store?! It's a find, alright. This is just the second vintage for CSM making this wine, which is made mostly from syrah with around a quarter merlot. Wow.