Rosé from Cowgirl Winery brings nuance to a bright and blushing summer wine.

The fickle temperament of the Pinot Noir grape is widely known. It’s thin-skinned and prone to pouting. That winemakers put up with such behavior is testament to the subtle beauty it can choose to reveal. Most are quite happy to stop at bottling a red. But the winsome allure of Pinot Noir can also be found by those who pursue it to Rosé.

The 2017 Blush Rosé from Cowgirl Winery is proof of this. It blows a kiss of strawberries and juicy watermelon – aromas that both captivate and tingle. Something more fluent lurks behind the sweet gesture of fruit, however, with hints of drying thyme, sour apple and a tilled minerality. Again on the palate, a medley of fruit splashes – strawberry playing a brisk, mirthful game ahead of more leisurely notes of stone fruit and red plum. Yet there is a lean, refreshing character to all this buoyant fruit. It shows in a calm, nutty trace, raspy hints of almond skin and the wistful suggestion of dried flowers.

This is a Rosé, bright and clean. But it is also a Pinot Noir, with all its capacity to fascinate.

COWGIRL WINERY 25 Pilot Road, Carmel Valley. 298-7030, cowgirlwinery.com