Wine Time with Aaron the Wine Guy
Hello Prince Albert!
Have you had a chance to try any of the celebrity wines out there? Celebrity wines come from almost every country but most of the time we don’t even realize it.
Many of the celebrities who have wines on the shelves don’t actually use their own names and instead use a marketing approach to capture as many customers as possible. This can be seen in several products like Tool’s lead singer’s wines Caduceus Cellars, Jon Bon Jovi’s Diving Into Hampton Waters, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Miraval and brands like Dreaming Tree (in partnership with Dave Matthews).
Other wines are more obvious and leap from the shelf like the Tragically Hip wines, Francis Ford Coppola, Kim Crawford, Rolling Stones and last but not least Snoop Dogg.
Speaking of Snoop Dogg, I had previously tried the Cali Red and rated it as Poor since I got an instant headache and severe congestion after two sips. Despite this previous experience with the brand, I decided to give the new rose a try and to make it interesting I decided to taste it against another rapper’s wine: Post Malone’s Maison No. 9.
Going by appearance, Maison No. 9 definitely wins in the design department with a tall elegant bottle and glass stopper. The color of the wine is also highly appealing and it is comforting to know that the wine was sourced from a decent (albeit large) area of France.
In comparison to the Maison No. 9 bottle, the Snoop Dogg rose goes for the laid-back approach. The bottle has a screwcap and the label for the rose is identical to the Cali Red with a few additions of a color palette swap and a clear, frosted bottle. While Maison No. 9 has a natural rose color, the Cali Rose seems to glow with a slight neon hue.
It all comes down to taste and this is where people will really decide which rose they prefer. The Cali Rose is juicy and fruity with plenty of sweetness and a decent buzz of acidity. While it is easy to drink and I didn’t get a headache at all, the Cali Rose is simple and out of balance. This will make a killer sangria and a fun wine to bring to a tasting where it will quickly get guzzled. The main flavors from this wine are cotton candy, candy apple and strawberry juice.
Side by side, these two roses are quite different. The Maison No. 9 opts for the refined approach to flavors with light red fruits and a hint of flowers and melon. The Post Malone wine is also fairly soft on the palate and features subtle flavors of citrus rind. Aiming to be a classic French rose, the Maison No. 9 aims high but doesn’t quite reach.
To sum it all up, the Maison No. 9 wins points for being classy but it misses the mark slightly due to its higher price point and lack of complexity. While I gave the Cali Rose a lower rating, I think it brings more fun to the table with its unapologetic flavors. Grab yourself a charcuterie board and try these interesting roses to make up your own mind! Here are my wine picks of the week!
Maison No. 9 Rose 2020: (IGP Mediterranees, France). Dry to off-dry rose, medium salmon color. The nose of this rose is slightly off-putting at first with a bit of a gassy note but this is quickly followed by floral rose, raspberry, strawberry and a hint of melon. On the palate, the wine is soft and then a lovely rush of citrus fruit comes through (lemon, lime, mandarin). Orange peel bitterness balances out the medium acidity and a small touch of tannins can be detected, adding a bit of structure. The finish is medium-length with those soft fruits and a touch of acidity lingering. Quite pleasant and simple but the gassy note near the beginning and lack of complexity/depth hurt the score. Good! $30, 12.5% ABV
Snoop Dogg Cali Rose 2020: (California, USA). Medium-sweet rose, Jolly Rancher pink color. The aroma from this wine is juicy and fruity with a wallop of apples (pink lady, crab apple), strawberries, ripe field berries, cotton candy and candy apples. The intense fruit carries onto the palate with candy apple, strawberry and apple juice, melons and red fruits. Acidity is medium-plus and body is medium. Some metallic mineral creates an off-taste but overall the wine is fruity and delicious. Drink very cold or use to make a fruity sangria. The lingering sour metallic note knocks down the score but this wine will pair well with olives, feta, cheddar and prosciutto. Average. $25, 10.5% ABV
Cheers and thanks for reading!
