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Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives

So here is my wine review for the week of June 9th...

ELENA 2005 ALEXANDER VALLEY ROSE

Description: One of only a few remaining bottles in my fridge of the Roses I have been wanting to try as the warmer weather bears down upon us. I have never heard of this winery and as I tried to research it, it was almost as though this is some sort of CIA operation. No website, very little info and no idea how to find the damn wine unless you stumble upon as I did. The label claims the wine is from Healdsburg in the Napa Valley region

How and when I drank it: Friday afternoon, June 6th at my house.

How to get it: No idea. I found this bottle at the BevMo in Roseville a few months back.

How Much: Bevmo had it for about $15

My Thoughts: The label honestly tells you that the wine is “fermented to dryness” so I knew I had to prepare for a tight finish. I prefer the new roses to be more fruity and sweet (without approaching dessert wine or port status) as opposed to dry. Balance is the key. My wife, who loathes dry wine, couldn’t stand this bottle, but I found it be mediocre at worst. It is certainly better than last weeks’ bottle of Heitz. This wine is fruity yet dry and fairly non descript. It won’t kill ya, and it may refresh you just a little on a warm day.

Overall Score: Considering this wine is apparently harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa, what does it matter? The wine is ok, not great and I can’t recommend it. 2 vines

ELENA 2005 ALEXANDER VALLEY ROSE =