2020 Lorenza True Rose California 750 ml

There’s a rare class of wine that inspires bated-breath anticipation anytime a new release nears. Top-flight Napa bottles, rare Super Tuscans, rare white Burgundy… and one or two of our favorite rosés. Lorenza’s True Rosé headlines that crop—a pink miracle in a bottle that’s ripe and seductive, but at once refreshing and crisp in the best ways.

It reminds us of Tempier’s Bandol in its flavor profile—and in how excited we are for each new vintage to come out. Conveniently, it’s half the price of its Provençal inspiration, which helps explain how it’s become such a favorite of our members. We sold hundreds of bottles of the 2019, and it only missed a perfect five-star average rating by a single member-review.

The vineyards that supply Lorenza’s immaculate grapes were hunted down and chosen specifically for their suitability for rosé—a rarity for a California bottle. That assortment includes multiple 100-year-old vineyards, including the famed Bechtold ranch, whose 1847-planted Cinsault makes its way into the wine.

There’s a peachy hue to the light-pink wine, and that’s reflected in the nose, which combines wild strawberries, peach skin, Seville orange zest, with hints of sage, rosemary, and wild thyme for a beguiling aroma that begs you to keep smelling. The palate is alive with perfectly ripe fruit—red berries, crunchy peach, and hints of citrus—backed by a minerality that keeps the wine electric and mouthwatering.

If that sounds like a dead-ringer for one of the top wines from Bandol, that’s because the blend is remarkably similar, as is the intention. 40% of the blend is Mourvèdre, the grape that gives the finest wines in Provence their snap and minerality; and that’s buttressed by 28% Carignan, which lends bright aromatics and spice; and 16% each Grenache, known for rich fruit, and Cinsault, which bring a citrusy-elegance.

Take those grapes and press them exceptionally gently for maximum elegance before fermenting long and slow in stainless steel tanks—the better to preserve fruit and vibrancy—and you have the foundation for one of our most-requested re-orders of any color last year. It’s exciting to finally have this back in stock, while it lasts. If there’s a second thing Lorenza does well, after being delicious, it’s selling out quickly.