Seebrich Pinot Noir Rosé 2006

At my last wine job we were routinely given cases of overstock wines to take home free. More often than not it was high quality German Riesling (and other whites) that were a vintage or two past. I know plenty of folks who drink Riesling - especially the good stuff - but we tend to sip rather than gulp so I still haven't exhausted my stock. This weekend I decided to dip into the stash for a Valentine appropriate wine and came up with a rosé of Pinot Noir by Seebrich. In Germany the grape is called Spätburgunder and rosé is translated Weißherbst.

As I'm exposed to more non-zinfandel versions, I'm starting to overcome my reticence regarding rosés. I still don't have high expectations, though, and this bottle was relatively old. Rosés are generally meant to be drunk while they are fresh and new. Despite the years in the bottle and years in my basement, the wine held up well and took me by surprise.

It's aroma carries a light linen scent and it's color is that of roses and honey. The wine sits elegantly on my tongue, slowly doling out sweet cherry and green apple flavors, with just enough tannin to bring balance. It is decadent enough to be dessert without overwhelming sweetness or cloying finish.

On this particular bottle there's a sticker on the back saying "No Retail Value." That usually means the wine wasn't generally imported and this was probably a sample. I wanted to know if I could expect to find more of this somewhere and what kind of price range to expect. The Seebrich website mentions Spätburgunder Weißherbst as a small portion of their offerings but doesn't give any indication whether or not they are exported. My brief search led to mostly German language websites so I have a feeling it'll be quite some time before I get to taste it again.

One final note, according to Wikipedia, German Pinot noir ("Rhenish") is mentioned several times in Shakesperean plays as a highly prized wine. Who can argue with the bard? I hope you get the chance to try some soon.