What are the summer wines of 2021?

Em just to 'set the watches straight', it is important that we agree together on what exactly are summer wines. Personally, I don't believe you are waiting for blockbuster summer wines with enormous concentration and alcohol in the middle of summer at 35 degrees.

Freshness

In summer, I much prefer wines whose main characteristic is freshness: juicy whites and rosés and reds that improve when the pouring temperature is (much) lower than the ambient temperature. So reds that can quite easily handle a half-hour refrigerator door, or even spend some time in the ice bucket.

White bourgognes

As for whites, no bulky, big, concentrated white bourgognes, but rather wines with an emphasis on fresh notes. In these summer wines, the fruit is allowed to poke out of the glass and the wine should match lighter, summery cuisine in terms of style. Juicy fresh salads, fish from the grill, plate of pasta with shellfish and that kind of pleasure.

Rose

Although it was notable this year that demand for rosé did not collapse during the winter months, rosé is immensely popular during summer. Previously, about 15 years back, rosés were much darker in colour than now. The market ran out of them and now 'the lighter, the better' seems to be the watchword. These wines should also have flavour and style connections with summer dishes as described above.

Please take a seat

Red then. I got a red American in the glass the other day, a zinfandel of (please sit down) 16.7% alcohol. Even as a seasoned wine geek, you struggle to finish one glass of this. So intense, so heavy and almost burning from the alcohol. In the middle of summer, these wines are a no go as far as I am concerned.

Controlled alcohol

I much prefer summer wines with controlled alcohol, lots of fruit on the nose, medium body and soft tannins. Wines that go with dishes of BBQ or grill. But above all, wines that benefit when they flow coolly into the glass: 16 to 18 degrees in the warm summer sun is perfect. To this end, it's best to hit the fridge for a while, or let the wine cool for a few minutes in a bucket with tinkling ice cubes.

Six exciting summer wines for home consumption at Bosman Wine sellers

For readers of Bij Ons In De Residentie there is a tasting box with one bottle of each wine. Free home delivery within greater The Hague for € 65, of course you can also collect it at Frederik Hendriklaan.

1. Vergel Blanco 2020 Bodega de Pinoso
Note! This frivolously fragrant organic Spanish was spontaneously counted among the 50 best wines in the Netherlands in terms of price-performance by wine critic Nicolaas Klei. A great honour, as the wine costs just €7.95. It is the brainchild of Ana Amat, the young winemaker (with the emphasis on star) at Bodega de Pinoso in Alicante. With great success, she brought together Spain's dullest wine grape (airén) with some sparklingly fresh sauvignon blanc. What a stunner this 2020 has become and by far the best Vergel Blanco we have ever tasted from her hand. Refined, aromatic, sizzlingly fresh and juicy dry on the palate. Truly delicious. Also certified vegan.

2. Le Mas de Vessière Blanc 2020 IGP d'Oc
Lucie & Vincent Teulon make this exciting creation in the southern French Languedoc. For this they use grenache blanc & muscat grapes, in a 70/30 ratio. According to top chef Sebastiaan Knottnerus (restaurant The Knott-Den Haag) just a little too aromatic with a salty oyster, but otherwise... an impressive glass of everyday white (€ 9.95) with summer salads, creamy cheeses, all kinds of fish with or without sauce. But also perfect with a generous pizza and remarkably good with Indonesian dishes. The summer wine is organic and even mentions on the back label that they are Demeter certified, i.e. biodynamic. A convincing glass of white.

3. Pinot Grigio 'Blush' rosé 2020 Giol

Vittorio Carraro in the vineyards

Winemaker Vittorio Carraro is one of those who never sits still and constantly comes up with great news. He owns Italy's oldest known winery, called Giol, anno 1427. In this centuries-old, ecological paradise, the pinot grigio grape is enjoying itself insanely. There are some white wine grapes that develop slightly tinged skins when fully ripe, sauvignon gris, for example, and also roter veltliner.

Spectacular

Pinot Grigio does the same, and if you then let the light-coloured skins ferment with the grape juice for a few hours, an ultra-light rosé is created. When the buyers of the excellent beach restaurant Buiten (even the king eats there with Máxima and the princesses!) were the first to taste this wine, they were instantly sold. "THIS will be our summer topper," they shouted in chorus. A spectacularly fine, light, elegant rosé that is not only organic but also vegan. For €12.95 something unique.

4. Jas d'Esclans Cru Classé de Provence 2020
Gwenaëlle and Matthieu De Wulf are, in my opinion, the very best winemakers in Provence. They own one of the sparse vineyards classified as a 'Cru Classé'. From no fewer than five grape varieties (cinsault, grenache, syrah, tibouren and mourvèdre), they make this sublime wine. I wouldn't know who could improve on this. Super elegant, soft, refined, beautiful complexity and depth. What a beautiful glass of rosé. Certified organic. (€ 18,95).

5. Marcel Malbec 2018 Vin de France
Léon Verhaeghe once traded the Belgian landscape for that of the beautiful Lot river with wild surroundings. This is the land of the malbec grape whose top wine is Cahors, the 'black wine'. Léon's second name was Marcel and so the Verhaeghe family christened its youngest entry-level wine Marcel.

More summer wines

Make no mistake, this is no sneeze in the glass, but stone-age wine from Les Terrasses de Cahors. The all-organic Château du Cèdre is the leading château there. This classic appellation is the birthplace of the malbec grape, so Château du Cèdre is the source of this deep cherry red, extremely fragrant red wine. Full on the palate but also with great freshness. Fantastic as an accompaniment to meat, game or poultry from BBQ or grill. This wine also stands its ground alongside mature, hard cheeses such as the eminent farmer Gouda from Captein cheese farm in Zoeterwoude-Weipoort. For € 8.95 a top wine.

6. Barbera d'Asti 'Alma' 2019 Mario Giribaldi

Mario & Matteo Giribaldi

Italy's elite are given the 'DOCG' designation and that includes this mouth-filling red Barbera. It is no coincidence that quite a few of these top wines come from Piedmont in north-west Italy. With a wink, this part of the country is also called the 'stomach of Italy'. I myself once stayed at the widow Giacosa's B&B on a wine trip and she had only one house rule: everyone staying there must stay for dinner at least once.

21 courses

So that was 21 courses, served in the huge, old-fashioned kitchen. An experience. This Barbera comes from the village of Asti where the frothy-sweet Moscato d'Asti also comes from. However, there is no sweetness in this wine; it is a dark, sparkling red wine. Deep berry fruit, fine spiciness, lots of meat on the bones and perfect for (feather) game, spicy stews and all kinds of meat from the green egg or similar. And all for €9.95. All vineyards are cultivated organically and over the next few years the bottles will be labelled with the organic logo one by one.

Vineyard and cellar Giribaldi