26 Aug Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Notre Vue 2019 Rosé of GSM, Chalk Hill

Rosé season continues and, with the hot weather, there is nothing more enjoyable than a refreshing glass of rosé wine. This week, to enjoy with some grilled salmon, I opened the Notre Vue 2019 Rosé of GSM, Chalk Hill and it is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

When I stand in the vineyard, I get a sense of the soil and the place which provide so much insight to the wines that will be in the glass. But as fires burn in Northern California and travel is limited due to Covid, I miss traveling to the wineries. I was so excited to receive a package from Notre Vue Estate Winery and Vineyards in Windsor that included three test tubes of soils. These soils are samples from the vineyard, each one representing a different block.

Notre Vue Estate is a 710-acre vineyard located within two famous viticultural appellations: Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill. Bob and Renee Stein purchased the property 30 years ago. Certified sustainable, there are 250 acres planted with classic European grape varietals and 350 acres are dedicated to Forever Wild open space. With such a large property, there is a diversity of terroir with various soil types and exposures.

The 2019 Rosé of GSM, Chalk Hill is a new wine from Notre Vue. It is an equal blend of three grapes – 33% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 34% Mourvedre. Each grape comes from a different block on the vineyard. The Grenache comes from an extreme slope on the ranch with soils of clay and bedrock. The Syrah comes from the flattest slope where there is a build-up of soil. Mineral-rich, including iron, the soil is a rich red color. The Mourvedre comes from a block on the crest of a ridge with deep layers of clay.

The Notre Vue 2019 Rosé of GSM, Chalk Hill is a salmon pink color with golden hues. The nose is fresh with notes of peaches, nectarines, strawberries and cream, and dried cranberry, as well as some herbaceous and mineral notes. The stone fruit and mineral notes carry through on the palate of this medium bodied wine. The wine is crisp with bright acidity but has a lovely creaminess in the mid-palate and a long finish. The Notre Vue 2019 Rosé of GSM, Chalk Hill retails for $29.