Chateau du Rouét 2007

Bill Dowd photo

This traditional rosé comes from a winery whose chateau was owned by the Marquis de Villeneuve, supplier of wines to the court of Louis XVI. I tried it during a lunch at the home of Jeffrey Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky–Gimmel, owners of the trendy Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, NY.

• Chateau du Rouét 2007 Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reservee

This is a blend of grenache, mourvèdre and cinsault grapes, made by the first crush after cool skin maceration. That makes it a good accompaniment to any strongly-herbed dishes, such as the thyme-coated rotisserie poulet that was central to our meal.

Unlike the watery rosès that flooded the domestic market in the '90s and thereby ruined the category for a lot of first-timers, this is a full-bodied wine that goes well with anything from the lightness of a spring salad of lovage, chive blossoms, goat cheese and English peas to a layered potato-bacon pie.

The delicate pink color hints of the tastes to come -- lightly fruity cassis and raspberry. Not much length, but a serviceable wine for meals.

The suggested retail price runs in the $16 range.

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