Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, even in the wine world. Many wine fans consider the Rose wines from Bandol in Provence to be among the highest quality from anywhere in the world, and no producer in Bandol is more iconic than Domaine Tempier. After World War II was by far the leading estate in the region thanks to the Peyraud family, and their 'discovery' by a young Kermit Lynch inspired him to write his books and become one of the earliest and most influential importers in the region (so much so that the KL emblem mimics the Tempier label artwork drawn in 1951). These are singular wines from a very unique part of the world, distinctive older vines from ancient vineyards, so to be a Californian winery and say you're using Tempier as your model for your Rose it has to be exceptional. To quote Omar Little from The Wire 'You come at the king, you best not miss'. Let's start with Mourvedre and Cinsault picked specifically to make Rose from two of the oldest parcels of vines in California, Little Big Block from 1895 and Bechthold from 1886 (legitimately the oldest Cinsault vines on the planet). Not to mention their label is a cheeky takedown of Tempier with a Kraken attacking the Tempier ship. Pale in the glass but intensely aromatic with loads of white citrus and rose petal and gaining a juicy watermelon note as it opens up. The palate is awesome with unexpected fleshiness, both juicy and energetic especially with a bit of chill powering up the acidity, finishing with an orange zest citrus tone that stays persistent thanks to the super-fine tannins. Better than many 'elite' Roses from Provence we have had, this is excellent Rose, period. Full stop. ​

We are following the trend from the last few weeks of doing some 'transitional' red wines in the Insider's Pick, wines that do great in this period between Summer and Fall but you will also want to enjoy the rest of the year as well. This one takes us to Tuscany and a truly Old School style of wine that likely predates the Renaissance to the early versions of Chianti, blending the red grapes Sangiovese and Canaiolo with a bit of the white grape Trebbiano. Today this type of wine falls outside the guidelines of Italy's DOC and IGT system and has to be labeled non-vintage (but most houses hide it in the lot #). Today this type of wine would be best described as a house wine found in the cafes and restaurants across Tuscany, offered by the carafe at every table. From Lupinella, however, you have to imagine you stumbled across the best small family restaurant on a forgotten side street, and their 'house wine' is from the family farm that they've tended for generations. Which it pretty much is, pulled from just outside the historic Classico boundaries owned by a family with history as artisan ceramic makers back to the early Renaissance. Using just concrete for fermenting and aging, this is all about freshness and drinkability instead of cellar aging. Mostly transparent and pale dusty red color, the nose is savory and not overpowering with light crunchy red fruits and whiffs of herbs (what would politely be labeled as 'Italian Seasoning' in the spice row of the grocery). The palate has surprisingly nice weight and transfers the flavors very well from the nose with just a fine note of tannins to the finish, light but lingering and definitely capable of working with lots of pasta or antipasto dishes. Maybe not a 'chilled' red (up to you) but definitely works from cellar temps on up.  ​