The 2013 Xtales Frizzante Tempranillo Rosado (Rose’) was sourced from vineyards in the Castilla-LaMancha DOP of central Spain. Frizzante indicates that the Xtales has a little fizz to it, but nowhere near the bubbles of a Sparkling wine. This is a young wine (no aging, ferment it and bottle it) produced with carbonic maceration, the same technique used in Beaujolais nouveau wines. This procedure helps the wine come together quickly, but gives it no aging potential. The Xtales is an extra dry wine, which actually means it is on the sweet side, Brut indicates dry or not sweet. The alcohol content is 12%.
The color is a mix of pink and amber. The nose is fresh red fruit, raspberry and strawberry, with a touch of creamy vanilla. This is a young, fresh Rose’, it is not meant to be complex or have a great deal of depth. There is a nice mix of sweet and tart flavors, ripe black cherry, sour cherry hard candy, a little ripe plum. The acidity gives the Rose’ a crisp, clean edge and balances the sugar, even though it is a semi sweet wine, it does not taste sweet. This is not one of those pretty, delicate Rose’, but it is rather tasty. The finish is light, but reasonably long.
The 2013 Xtales Frizzante Tempranillo Rosado is a light bodied, tart, yet sweet wine that is custom-made for warm weather. Perfect for a party, the light body will not fill you up, the sweetness will have you reaching for another sip and the balanced acidity keeps the sugar from getting cloying. This is not a wine you would serve with food, though a light dish or a salad would work well. The perfect wine for a bit of Spain on a hot summers night.
