Big Salt “Orange Rose” is nearly a 50/50 blend of ramato style Pinot gris and a co-fermented, skinzy Riesling. The combination of these production methods left us with a wine that doesn’t look or smell like a rose – it isn’t as funky or extracted as an orange wine – it lives somewhere in between, or beyond. 2021 BSOR is peachy in color, no doubt because the Pinot gris was cranberry red, and Riesling was yellow, meeting in the middle at orange. It’s aromas are earthy - think roasted carrot, ginger, red apple skin. The palate is bracing (Riesling) and packed with citrus and aloe. It has a shocking amount of grip (amphorae) but not quite tannic. It oddly finishes with florals you’d expect from the nose, but it’s in the back palate.
Served icy cold, it tastes like a slushie of hibiscus, tangerine and fuzzy peach skin, with enough tartness to balance the aromatics, and a refreshing wave of acid on the finish. You get texture, not tannins from the skin, but this is definitely more of an orange wine than a rosé in our book. But it's an easy one that doesn't demand fruit or advanced natural wine drinker status, or even your full attention. Big Salt Orange is one of the most versatile food wines out there - perfect for the cornucopia of flavors & textures on your holiday table.
