While I believe that every season is rosé season, there is no denying that blush wines are top of mind when the daffodils start blooming, and demand peaks when local tomatoes and corn are bountiful at the farmer’s market. To celebrate that rosé time of year, here’s a list of giftable wines for mom to savor on Mother’s Day and right through the summer.
A picnic with a beautiful rosé, like this Donnafugata Dolce collab, is the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Donnafugata
Donnafugata Rosa Dolce & Gabbana e Donnafugata – Sicilia Doc Rosato 2023: Fashion-forward moms (and everyone else) will love this summery and plush wine, with a nose that is a meditation of exuberant flowers. Made from an original blend of two indigenous grape varieties—Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Etna, where the volcanic nature of the land and the microclimate add notes of minerality and floral delicacy, balanced by a fruity component from Nocera grapes. Oh, and the packaging, designed by the storied fashion house, is gorgeous. (SRP: $58, 12.73% ABV)
Tell your mom she is a star with this gorgeous bottle.
Domaine Ott
2023 Domaine Ott Etoile: This luscious, serious wine is built for aging – and drinking right now. Either way, it deserves contemplation, with a nose that brings to life a Provencal orchard full of wild herbs and citrus flowers. Using a blend of 85 percent Grenache and 15 percent Mourvèdre that is partially aged in ceramic vats, Étoile combines fruit from all three Domaines Ott estates, highlighting the salinity of Clos Mireille, the finesse of Château de Selle, and the structure of Château Romassan. (SRP $175, ABV 14%)
Centuries of experience have been poured into this wine.
Roseblood
Roseblood d’Estoublon 1489 Roseblood Rose 2023: This classic Provencal rosé will impress the mom who treasures tradition (it’s actually named for the year Château d’Estoublon was founded) and very ripe fruit. At 14 percent alcohol, it is as bold as a Provencal rose gets, a little bit peachy and a little bit toasty, thanks to a judicious use of oak. A hand-harvested blend of 80 percent old-vine Grenache and 20 percent Syrah grown atop Provence’s only volcanic crater adds minerality shaped by the region’s unique clay-limestone soils and cooling Mistral winds. (SRP $95, 14% ABV)
Château d’Esclans Les Clans 2022: Aged in large barrels –a combination of new oak and second-year – this rosé has a luscious weighty mouthfeel that stands out in the field of pink wines. Which is no surprise, since owner/winemaker Sacha Lichine has dedicated himself to putting Provencal rosé on the same stage as other storied French wines. Blending bright raspberries with tropical fruit and notes of vanilla, Les Clans is bold and fun in the best possible way. (SRP $108, 14% ABV)
This chateau offers a pretty rosé at every price point.
Chateau d’Esclans
Clarendelle Bordeaux Rose: This pink drink is crafted from a traditional red Bordeaux blend, combining a short maceration of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc. Redolent of roses, with hints of raspberry and grapefruit, it has the fruity intensity to stand on its own, but also plays well with grilled meat and fish. It also happens to be the preferred chateau of the Academy Awards celebration, so if you want to drink like the stars, but on a budget, this is a great choice. (SRP $20, 12.5% ABV)
Cook up an elegant meal to serve with this vivacious sparkler.
Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger Rosé NV: Made predominantly from Pinot Noir sourced from Grand and Premier Cru villages combined with a touch of Bollinger’s still red wine— 5 or 6 percent— this sparkler is vivid with bright strawberries and cherries, balanced with brioche and a velvety texture thanks to extensive aging on the lees. Give Mom a special treat and cook up one of the recipes developed by French chef Amandine Chaignot specially to pair with this charmer. (SRP $115, 12% ABV)
Champagne Telmont Réserve Rosé: The perfect indulgence for a mom who treasures the environment, this century-old Champagne house, based in Damery, is converting all of its vineyards to organic agriculture. But that’s not all — they no longer ship via air freight and have invested heavily in creating a lighter bottle they hope will become an industry standard. Not only that, but this is the official Champagne of the Cannes Film Festival – and it’s delicious too. Elegant and creamy with bright notes of blood orange and raspberry. (SRP $94.50, 12% ABV)
French Bloom Le Rosé 0.0% Organic French Bubbly: For anyone skipping the booze, this winner of the 2023 World Sparkling Awards World’s Best AF Sparkling is the ideal gift. Developed by Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, director of the Michelin Guide, and model Constance Jablonski, this rosé is bone-dry with a well-balanced complexity blending minerality and freshness with rose petals, red fruit, and notes of dry white peach. (SRP $44, 0% ABV)
