2022 Bedrock Wine Co, Rosé, Ode to Lulu, California.
Bright, steely/stony and crisp to start, the pale pinkish 2022 Ode to Lulu Rosé opens nicely to reveal ruby grapefruit, sour cherry, strawberry and subtle watermelon fruits, which feels nicely energetic, but pleasing on the medium bodied palate, making one of the best vintages to date here and one not to miss. I have somehow missed reviewing the last couple of years, which seems crazy, as this Provence styled Bedrock Rosé is now an almost must have wine Summer wine and one of the state’s most tasty versions. This vintage has enough ripe fruit to hold up to a wide array of cuisine choices from burgers to steamed mussels in a spicy broth, which is a delicious classic Mediterranean kind of pairing, that I highly recommend, plus it is great with any beach side meal. Bedrock has a fabulous latest set of wines, with their Heritage field blend Zin based bottlings leading the way, as expected, but there’s plenty of extras to explore with the Syrah offerings and this Rosé being ones to search out. The 2021 Bedrock Vineyard Heritage is their signature wine of the releases and it was absolutely brilliant recently, it is serious stuff for those who want to revel in California greatness, and then this one is a great warm up act.
Morgan Twain-Peterson’s Bedrock Ode to Lulu, as mentioned in my prior reviews, is a tribute wine to the legendary Lucie “Lulu” (Tempier) Peyraud, the matriarch of the famous Domaine Tempier, who’s wines are famous around the world, especially the Bandol Rosé, which this wine takes inspiration from. This dry pink is made from mainly Mourvèdre, like the Tempier, that gives serious structure and complexity with a touch of generous Grenache, adding a burst of fruit. Bedrock’s Ode to Lulu is typically crafted of 65% Mataro, aka Mourvèdre, mainly from old vines, set in sand in Oakley, some well over 80 years old and 35% Grenache from even older vines in Mendocino County that are grown on mix of ancient rocky soils. Made with traditional methods and picked with lower sugars, this seductive wine which some a cool fermentation and a short aging period with light lees, plus it was bottled quickly to preserve all the vibrancy. Morgan Twain-Peterson, who is now an MW, a master of wine, is one of the greatest voices in California wine as who has been a winemaker since a child, helping his dad, Joel Peterson of Ravenswood fame make wine, grew up appreciating these gnarly head trained vines. There’s a bunch of fun and well made stylishly crafted dry Rosé wines to discover in California with this Ode to Lulu being an easy choice for any occasion, it’s a good time to grab a few.
($22 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive