Dominique Portet Rosé 2012

Dominique Portet Fontaine Rosé 2012 (Yarra Valley & Pyrenees, Vic)
13%, Screwcap, $25
Source: Sample
www.dominiqueportet.com

Roll on dry rosé!

I never thought I’d say so, but this is actually too dry a dry rosé. Too dry, too serious and too varietal. What is the world coming too when such things are negatives? Maybe they’re not, but I was challenged by this pink.

Composed of 50% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 20% Shiraz, with the Cabernet and Merlot sourced from the Yarra and Shiraz from the Pyrenees this looks every bit the modern, Provence inspired rosé. Or perhaps Loire given the Cabernet leanings (although this is Sauvignon, not Franc). It smells more like a leafy dry Yarra red though – a promising leafy dry Yarra red. That’s the rub, it’s too herbal and spicy without the fruit sweetness to back it up, leaving a dry and peppery rosé with plenty of acidity but just not enough flesh.

After my initial glass I took half a bottle of this to road test with dinner. Drinking companions though it a little severe too. The word ‘bitter’ was dropped more than once.

Ultimately I’m not writing this off. There is enough here to suggest that a little more bottle age might fatten out the middle, making for a lovely, savoury, serious rosé. It’s just not as much fun now as what it could be. 

Drink: 2014-2016
Score: 16.8/20 89/100+
Would I buy it? Not quite yet.