The YGOM Rosé Taste Test

It’s that time of year when rosé makes its way back into heavy rotation. “Rosé All Day” they say and of course don’t forget the “Yes Way Rosé” hashtags. You can’t help but want to “Drink Pink” all Summer long. While rosé isn’t my normal go-to wine, I recently stumbled across one from Trader Joe’s (that I’ll share below) that blew my mind. With so many rosés out there, I decided to do my own little taste test of some of the well-known brands that I tend to see regularly at the grocery store. The cool thing about these brands is that they’re all under $25 and I believe that there is something for every palate. Now, I’ve ranked these five rosés from my least favorite to absolute amazing. Keep reading to discover which rosés made the top of the YGOM taste test.

5. 2020 Send Nudes Rosé

The Send Nudes Rosé is another Slo Down Wines production. I recently reviewed their Sauvignon Blanc on the blog. Honestly, the label drew me in on this wine. Slo Down has some really cute out-of-the-box labels that will instantly catch your attention.

• Price: $22
• Retail: Slo Down Wines (Unfortunately you’re not going to find this one at a grocery store. Try online or at a specialty wine shop.
• Region: Sonoma Coast
• Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
• Tasting Notes: Aromas of peaches and strawberries with citrus flavors (grapefruit), watered down watermelon and a hint of ginger. This rosé is dry and has a tartness that lingers on the finish.
• Ty’s Takeaway: Although it had the cutest label, the Send Nudes Rosé was my least favorite. I realize that I do prefer my rosés to be on the sweeter side so if dry is your thing ignore everything that I’m about to say. This rosé just fell flat for me. There just wasn’t any ‘umph’ in its flavor profile for me to really enjoy it.

4. 2019 Black Girl Magic Rosé

The McBride Sister wines are no stranger to YGOM. Their “Black Girl Magic” brand is a hit across retail stores. I’ve tried a handful of the wines in their portfolio, but not their rosé so you know I had to add it to my taste test list.

• Price: $18
• Retail: Total Wine, Target, Local Grocery Stores (You won’t have a hard time finding this rosé!)
  Region: Calfornia
• Varietal: Not listed
• Tasting Notes: This rosé has some raspberry and light floral aromas. On the palate, I got flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and lemon. Lots of acidity. This is another rosé that leaves you with a LONG finish.
• Ty’s Takeaway: The Black Girl Magic Rosé is also very dry. It falls in the same category as the Send Nudes. The finish on this rosé was not very pleasing to me. It was a complete turnoff, but again if you like dry rosés you may feel different.

3. 2019 Le Fête du Rosé

Le Fête is a black-owned wine label that I’ve been trying to get my hands on for almost a year now. So many wine influencers have been raving about it on Instagram. I’m so glad that I was finally able to get my hands on a bottle.

• Price: $25
• Retail: Total Wine, Target
• Region: Côtes de Provence, St. Tropez (France)
• Varietal: 80% Grenache, 14% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah
• Tasting Notes: It’s hard to pinpoint the exact fruits in the aroma, but I found it to be very sweet and dainty. This rosé is dry with flavors of tart cherries and citrusy lemon. The acidity doesn’t cut into the flavors of this wine and the finish isn’t as long.
• Ty’s Takeaway: I sadly didn’t love the Le Fête du Rosé like I wanted to. It was another rosé that just fell flat for me. It had a little more complexity in flavors that the Black Girl Magic Rosé, but it’s not something that I’d go back for seconds on.

2. 2020 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Rosé

So your cousin Snoop is back with another wine with the 19 Crimes brand. You know I wasn’t a fan of his Cali Red so my expectations were really low.

• Price: $11
• Retail: Kroger, Target, HEB
• Region: California
• Varietal: 75% Zinfandel, 20% Grenache, 5% Pinot Noir
• Tasting Notes: Very strong strawberry and floral aromas. Unlike the other rosés on the list, this was the most fruit-forward one with flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. It’s very approachable with a nice balance between the sweetness and acidity. Plus, there’s no awkward finish on this rosé.
• Ty’s Takeaway: Can you believe that Snoop’s rosé made my top two??? Talk about redemption! Readers may try to take away my wine card, but I don’t care. I said what I said and this rosé was legit to me. When it comes to rosé I prefer them to be more fruit-forward and Snoop and 19 Crimes understood the assignment and executed quite well. If you have a sweeter palate, then you will love this rosé. It kind of reminded me of an adult Capri Sun. No shade because I was here for every sip!

1. 2019 Espiral Vinho Rosé

This is the rosé that set it all off for this post. Like I said earlier….I’m not a big rosé drinker but this one has been in rotation for the past couple of months.

• Price: $5
• Retail: Trader Joe’s
• Region: Portugal
• Varietal: Not listed
• Tasting Notes: There’s a little grassiness on the nose. There’s a bit of grit that leaves you wondering what you’re about to experience. But, once you take your first sip you’re in for a fun ride. This rosé is light and fruity with flavors of strawberry and cherry. There’s a bit of effervescence that adds some character to it.
• Ty’s Takeaway: The bomb.com and it’s only $5! All I can think of is sophistication when I compare it to all of the other rosés on this list. I love drinking this rosé ice cold and letting it get almost slushy-like. This is definitely the anthem for 2021.

So that concludes the YGOM Rosé Taste Test. No matter if you prefer sweet or dry wines there is something here for everyone. What’s your favorite rosé? Comment below. Until next time…glasses up!