“Summer of what?” You ask. Rosé. Duh. My goal is to provide you, my dear readers, with a new rosé to seek out and try. Hence, the title…Summer of Rosé.
I will forewarn you, some of the wines are only available through the tasting rooms. I will do my best to provide you with the information necessary to order these wines.
It’s no secret that I love Basel Cellars. No secret whatsoever. I’ve featured or mentioned them here, here and here. Part of it is that they have some of the most amazing, caring and friendliest people working for them. From their tasting room staff to their sales team…everyone that I’ve met who is part of the Basel team is awesome. The other part is that they produce damn good wines at reasonable prices. Two things I strive for while walking this planet is surrounding myself with good people and good wine. Basel’s staff meets the first qualification, while their wines meet the second.
When deciding on which wines to feature for this series, I knew that I had to feature this lovely Rosé of Syrah first.

So you’re probably wondering, “Where does the 2901 come from?” Well, 2901 happens to be part of their address in Walla Walla. The 2901 pays homage to the estate itself and anyone who has ever enjoyed themselves at Basel Cellars’ beautiful grounds.
What about the wine? Well, on the nose, there’s lovely hints of tart strawberries and raspberries that is underlaid by a rhubarb note that brings this together. On the palate, there’s tart berries, fantastic acidity and a lingering finish that makes you crave for more. This is a true varietal wine, as this is composed of 100% Syrah. The grapes are estate-grown and were picked two weeks before the actual Syrah harvest in order to ensure more acidity and less sugar. That attention to balance is what catapulted this wine to the top of my list.
The recommended pairing is charcuterie, but in all honesty…this could go with just about whatever you wanted to pair it with. Personally, I would pair this with these Smoked Beef Brisket Nachos from my friends over at Vindulge and Ember & Vine Barbecue and Wood Fired Catering because I feel as though it’s one of those pairing that would just work. Don’t ask me why, but I feel as though it would (oh…wait…maybe it’s because the nachos worked with a Syrah…hey Mary & Sean, let’s try them with this Syrah Rosé!!). The couple behind Vindulge and Ember & Vine are awesome as well, and if you haven’t given them some Facebook, Twitter or Instagram love, GO DO IT!!
To purchase:
If you’re in the Portland, OR area, go visit Cellar 55 at 1812 Washington, Vancouver, WA 98660
If you’re in the Seattle, WA area, go visit the Basel Cellars Tasting Room in Woodinville at 15029 Woodinville Redmond Rd #102, Woodinville, WA 98072
If you’re in the Walla Walla, WA area, go visit the mothership at 2901 Old Milton Hwy, Walla Walla, WA 99362
You can also order this rosé online at Basel Cellars Online Store.