Pale cherry-pink, the 2018 Grenache Rosé opens with aromas of baker's yeast, warm pear, red berries and melon with a floral touch. The palate is light-bodied with a spritz of acidity, fresh fruit flavors and an uncomplicated finish. 999 cases produced.

The 2017 Grenache Rosé is pale cherry-pink in color with scents of white pepper, Bing cherry, fresh rhubarb and chopped herbs. Light-bodied, it features crisp, bright red fruits with a meaty nuance, finishing clean and refreshing with a touch of phenolic texture. 1,092 cases produced.

The 2013 Grenache Rosé was cropped on September 18, cropped at 22.8 Brix and comes from three blocks designated for rosé wine. It has a crisp red cherry and and rosewater bouquet, touches of pink grapefruit coming through with time. The palate is crisp and (in a positive way) terse on the entry, with crisp acidity from start to finish, with a pleasant light strawberry and orange zest finish. Fine.

An Abacela 2012 Grenache Rose gave me enormous pleasure and as I followed it to the bottom of the bottle later in the day on which I had encountered it, I was almost surprised – but certainly delighted – to confirm that it really was as good as my initial notes suggested! A luscious and refreshing amalgam of rhubarb and pink grapefruit tinged with rose hip (or have I merely donned pink glasses to taste this?) preserves an inexplicable sense of levity even at 13.1% alcohol. In its sweetly-ripe way this is far fruitier, yet at the same time is so much livelier and more refreshing than the great majority of its South-of-France cousins. Hints of salt and stone add to the appeal of a lip-smackingly long finish. I’d plan to enjoy this sensational value (immensely) over the next 6-9 months. Abacela in southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley illustrates a diversity of soils as well as exposures ranging from southerly to northerly, all of which no doubt supplies grist for the academic mill of Greg Jones, whose parents founded this estate, and who has become the go-to climatologist in matters vinous well beyond Oregon’s borders. Tel. (541) 679-6642