Montes Cherub Rose 2008

Good, not great. A touch too fruity to be taken seriously, but there's some nice strawberry fruit in here. Went well with roasted halibut.

Plenty of strawberry/cherry lashed fruit with the dry tannins giving a sophisticated mouthful despite the cherryade colour, glowing as if radiated. Ripe, gentle fruit to the fore, dry tannins to the finish, And, always an indicator of decent quality, a long lasting aftertaste. http://www.spittoon.biz/montes_cherub_rose_2008_colcha.html

I loved this rose. I tend to shy away from Rose normally because I find them too sweet. This one was perfect. It was dry, with good body. Aromas of strawberry/raspberry, and no overpowering sweetness afterwards. The colour, too, was a fantastic deep pink. I would definitely buy this one again. We had it before dinner, and with pork tenderloin - and it was perfect either way. It's a great price too!

Absolutely loved the 2007 Syrah!

A woman once told me she would never buy a bottle of Toad Hollow Chardonnay because she thought the label was "gross." I guess she didn't like toads. Personally, I don't care much for cherubs — they just look like chubby little game birds to me — but I am a fan of Montes wines. The last couple of vintages of their Montes Alpha Syrah have been knockouts, so I had high hopes for their Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah 2006. And the Wine Enthusiast seemed to like it well enough: They gave it a 90-point rating and called it "one of the world's best rosés." Label aside, I wasn't disappointed. The nose is delicate and pleasant, and the wine drenches all areas of the palate with flavors of raspberry and concentrated strawberries. A long, pleasant finish follows, with no trace of acidity or bitterness. At $15 a bottle it's among the higher-priced rosés, but in terms of satisfaction it's money well spent. This is a fun wine to drink! Aurelio Montes is apparently a big fan of Ralph Steadman, who designed the Cherub label as well as the one for the Montes Folly Syrah. I like Steadman's work too, but it's usually a lot more edgy than this cherub, which is full-bodied yet light, not as serious as the Montes Alpha trademark angel, and deviod of any edginess — much like the wine, come to think of it....

This is a great rose. Crisp and refreshing with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranite. Maybe a touch of blueberry and grape skin. Aroma of red fruit and a nice dryness. Must buy again. CP.