On the nose, it’s tropical, floral, and inviting. But, notes of guava, lemon zest, and lychee on the mid-palate steal the show. It’s dry, muscular and the rich mineral-driven acidity lends a crispness to the finish.
Winemaking Notes
Slow and low. That’s the philosophy at Ion wines. The fruit was harvested at 24 Brix to ensure high acid and lower alcohol. Using 100% stainless steel, our fermentation goals were a Brix a day at very cold temperatures to keep the brightness and freshness of the grape. The wine rested on its lees for 4 months to help gain additional character.
Obsessed with all things wine and an experienced winemaker for the last decade, Benjamin Flajnik prides himself on crafting drinkable dry rosé wine. At ion, we source fruit from premium vineyards and specialize in dry Provençal style rosé wine.
Ok, let’s get nerdy. If you ask science, (ion)ic bonding is a type of chemical bond that involves the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. So basically, we’re bringing people together through wine! Oh, and (ion)ic compounds are balanced, just like our rosé.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Hello hello, mates! Here’s the 2018 Ion Lodi Rosé:
First of all, I should declare that the bottle I received is flawed. The first glass I poured had an off aroma… not mustiness, but a weird, very unusual note that I have a hard time describing. There was also something in the flavor, maybe a bit of a sweet & sour note, but again I have a tough time describing it.
There was no foil capsule, just the bare cork in the bottle. Not that foil would have made any difference here, but I know some people don’t like that. The cork seemed to be seated just fine in the bottle, it was not pushed out, it wasn’t loose when I pulled it, but you can see where the wine seeped around it, and enough made it out to stain the top of the cork.
I hope this has to do with the weather this moved through on its way to me, and does not indicate anything negative about how this has been stored… we’ll see if other rats notice the same, or not!
These off notes seem to blow off after a bit, and after ninety minutes or so, I can no longer detect it. At this point, I would point out there’s some pale fruit in the aroma, a touch of berries, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of floral notes. The fruit is also not gone from the flavor here, but I suspect it’s reduced from what it was a year ago. I’d say maybe apples, pears… perhaps a touch of peach in the flavor. The acidity gives it a bright spot and a good bite. There might be a touch of nuttiness here, too, but it’s subtle (or I’m imagining it).
Now I cannot say how other people would perceive the flaw. I know I’m not the most perceptive here, but I’ve definitely had a few flawed bottles. I’ve had this experience before, where the bad notes seem to disappear after a bit, but others around me still pick up on them. I’ve also had some flawed bottles where they never improve. I tried to give it a fair review after a couple hours, and if all other rat bottles are OK, I’d consider going in on this deal. But I really want to hear what other rats found in their bottles.
@worbx The other rat here. I took a look at my cork and did not have the same issue. I am in Indiana and the weather broke here during the shipping period, so I doubt mine froze. However, I did cap my bottle overnight with the original cork and it broke in half when I pulled it. Maybe the lack of foil or storing it upright led the cork to dry out?
Edit:
I’ve been feeling the cork. The bottom half of mine is damp. The upper half is dry and it broke right along where it feels like the dampness ended. Some seepage might have occurred, unfortunately.
@kookie00 Yeah, it could definitely be a storage issue… my cork doesn’t seem unusually dry, but then with the wine seeping out around it, it may have had enough time to absorb enough moisture to get back to normal. Glad to hear yours didn’t seem to have any issue, though!
@kookie00@worbx The foil or capsule on a bottle of wine these days is pretty much decorative only, plays no part in storage or seepage etc. The original purpose was, and I suppose could still be relevant, to keep bugs out. Many wineries are eliminating it as they see it as an unnecessary cost.
@worbx sounds like the bottle was slightly corked amigo. Happy to replace it if you wanna send me your info. Sorry bout that…happens to the best of us! ben@ion.wine
@kaolis@kookie00@worbx Regarding the “foil,” in the old days I believe these were often lead-based and there were warnings about lead contamination on the outer surface of the neck where you pour from. Probably minor but I recall this being discussed decades ago. Not sure if that was accurate or just F.U.D.
Now most “foil” will just be plastic-based. But there’s definitely a lot of interesting eliminating use of plastics especially when proven to be largely unnecessary.
Finally, there is one simple solution that is often debated here: screw-caps!
@ionwines
It certainly is a very attractive price point! The above figure is simply to illustrate the additional savings when buying the full case instead of the 6-pack, which is of course already discounted significantly.
I was lucky enough to get that special email Monday and received my bottle on Monday. I opened it up and was surprised to get a rose with a very pretty label. I threw it in the wine fridge and opened it for dinner on Thursday.
Since rose is such a wide spectrum, it is probably best to disclose my preferences. I am strongly partial to Rose d’Anjous. Although, I do not mind a good Provençal bottle at all.
The fiancee and I had it with dinner: chicken kabobs marinated in a soy, honey, garlic marinade. The bottle was open for about 20 minutes before our first taste. We both said strawberry, strawberry, strawberry at first taste. It is dry, but not too dry (I would classify most Cotes de Provence as drier than this). From the first taste to the finish, it is remarkedly consistent not a lot of differentiation. The alcohol is there but not overwhelming. The pour is on the darker side for a rose, but not super dark. I couldn’t get a great pic, so I’m omitting it. After day one, my conclusion: this is a solid porch rocker. It is not my favorite rose, but I would have no qualms serving it to friends. Also, I don’t think it is a great dinner companion.
I reopened it about an hour ago to finish off the review. The strawberries have totally worn off. Now, all I can taste are lychees, but the structure and finish-wise it is very similar. I think I like this version better, to be completely honest.
Would I buy it? It depends on the price. I wouldn’t spend $20 a bottle. It would hold its weight well against most roses in the $10-$15 range, depending on your rose preferences. If you are into Cotes de Provence, this is a slightly different, but comparable wine at a very discounted price point. At $8, it is a very good buy in my book. I’m in.
@kookie00 great review. I prefer cotes roses but a change of pace is always welcome. Did you notice a bite on the back end? I sometimes get that with roses. Thanks.
Hey Chip! RS is 2g RS per liter on this particular vintage. The RS assists in lifting up those tropical notes (guava, lychee) from the fruit. More to enhance mouthfeel than give any sort of sweetness. No batonage on this one. Great questions!
@ionwines thanks for jumping on board! Are you the winemaker? What are the PH and TA numbers? Also, would you say this rose have zippy acidity? Finally, what’s the story behind the bottle? I dig it but not the norm in the world of roses! Thanks
@ionwines Hello and thanks for joining in! I picked on the cork from my bottle as evidence of the flaw, and I’ve had a few bottles with bad seepage in the past which convinced me certain wineries don’t store their wine carefully. Even with good storage, some seepage not unusual, of course. Just usually not out the top of the bottle.
And flaws happen from time to time; I’m not trying to assign blame, just raising a question. It sounds like the other rat bottle was A-OK, which is very reassuring.
@losthighwayz 3.26 pH | 6.6 g/L TA at time of bottling. It’s definitely zippy but after a little time in the bottle has more shoulder weight. Acid levels are still holding strong. The story is a long one…when I was designing the label I happened to take a trip to the National Gallery of Art in DC and was in the Rembrant exhibit when making final approval. Needless to say, it’s a “darker” feel and represents a bigger rosé. Hope that helps!
@losthighwayz have the lodi vineyard under contract and at last, minute decided to increase production in 2018 so worked with a vineyard that was in the 2016 vintage. Best of both worlds.
Acquired 4 from @wardad , gifted one to #hospital folk next door and drank one, would do a minimum of a half case if it showed up again, not considered a real drinker of this but it was nice and well enjoyed!
@Winedavid49
I’ve had a couple of these now (and gifted one on Mother’s Day - pretty bottle!), and the previous two at home were enjoyed. Unfortunately popped one last night and it was corked. Eww.
That’s only happened once out of the three I opened, but hope that the one I gifted is OK!
2018 ion Wines Rosé
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$299.88/Case at ion Wines for 12x 2018 ion Wines Rosé
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 22 - Wednesday, Mar 24
ion Wines Rosé
6 bottles for $49.99 $8.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 ion Wines Rosé
Hello hello, mates! Here’s the 2018 Ion Lodi Rosé:
First of all, I should declare that the bottle I received is flawed. The first glass I poured had an off aroma… not mustiness, but a weird, very unusual note that I have a hard time describing. There was also something in the flavor, maybe a bit of a sweet & sour note, but again I have a tough time describing it.
There was no foil capsule, just the bare cork in the bottle. Not that foil would have made any difference here, but I know some people don’t like that. The cork seemed to be seated just fine in the bottle, it was not pushed out, it wasn’t loose when I pulled it, but you can see where the wine seeped around it, and enough made it out to stain the top of the cork.
I hope this has to do with the weather this moved through on its way to me, and does not indicate anything negative about how this has been stored… we’ll see if other rats notice the same, or not!
These off notes seem to blow off after a bit, and after ninety minutes or so, I can no longer detect it. At this point, I would point out there’s some pale fruit in the aroma, a touch of berries, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of floral notes. The fruit is also not gone from the flavor here, but I suspect it’s reduced from what it was a year ago. I’d say maybe apples, pears… perhaps a touch of peach in the flavor. The acidity gives it a bright spot and a good bite. There might be a touch of nuttiness here, too, but it’s subtle (or I’m imagining it).
Now I cannot say how other people would perceive the flaw. I know I’m not the most perceptive here, but I’ve definitely had a few flawed bottles. I’ve had this experience before, where the bad notes seem to disappear after a bit, but others around me still pick up on them. I’ve also had some flawed bottles where they never improve. I tried to give it a fair review after a couple hours, and if all other rat bottles are OK, I’d consider going in on this deal. But I really want to hear what other rats found in their bottles.
@worbx The other rat here. I took a look at my cork and did not have the same issue. I am in Indiana and the weather broke here during the shipping period, so I doubt mine froze. However, I did cap my bottle overnight with the original cork and it broke in half when I pulled it. Maybe the lack of foil or storing it upright led the cork to dry out?
Edit:
I’ve been feeling the cork. The bottom half of mine is damp. The upper half is dry and it broke right along where it feels like the dampness ended. Some seepage might have occurred, unfortunately.
@kookie00 Yeah, it could definitely be a storage issue… my cork doesn’t seem unusually dry, but then with the wine seeping out around it, it may have had enough time to absorb enough moisture to get back to normal. Glad to hear yours didn’t seem to have any issue, though!
@kookie00 @worbx The foil or capsule on a bottle of wine these days is pretty much decorative only, plays no part in storage or seepage etc. The original purpose was, and I suppose could still be relevant, to keep bugs out. Many wineries are eliminating it as they see it as an unnecessary cost.
@worbx sounds like the bottle was slightly corked amigo. Happy to replace it if you wanna send me your info. Sorry bout that…happens to the best of us! ben@ion.wine
@kaolis @kookie00 @worbx Regarding the “foil,” in the old days I believe these were often lead-based and there were warnings about lead contamination on the outer surface of the neck where you pour from. Probably minor but I recall this being discussed decades ago. Not sure if that was accurate or just F.U.D.
Now most “foil” will just be plastic-based. But there’s definitely a lot of interesting eliminating use of plastics especially when proven to be largely unnecessary.
Finally, there is one simple solution that is often debated here: screw-caps!
@kookie00 @pmarin @worbx Correct, capsules were lead until maybe the 1980’s. Not exactly the old days…
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 ion Wines Rosé - $10 = 9.99%
@chipgreen case price is $300 at release. This is the second time I’ve run a promo so easily a steal at the price…
@ionwines
It certainly is a very attractive price point! The above figure is simply to illustrate the additional savings when buying the full case instead of the 6-pack, which is of course already discounted significantly.
I was lucky enough to get that special email Monday and received my bottle on Monday. I opened it up and was surprised to get a rose with a very pretty label. I threw it in the wine fridge and opened it for dinner on Thursday.
Since rose is such a wide spectrum, it is probably best to disclose my preferences. I am strongly partial to Rose d’Anjous. Although, I do not mind a good Provençal bottle at all.
The fiancee and I had it with dinner: chicken kabobs marinated in a soy, honey, garlic marinade. The bottle was open for about 20 minutes before our first taste. We both said strawberry, strawberry, strawberry at first taste. It is dry, but not too dry (I would classify most Cotes de Provence as drier than this). From the first taste to the finish, it is remarkedly consistent not a lot of differentiation. The alcohol is there but not overwhelming. The pour is on the darker side for a rose, but not super dark. I couldn’t get a great pic, so I’m omitting it. After day one, my conclusion: this is a solid porch rocker. It is not my favorite rose, but I would have no qualms serving it to friends. Also, I don’t think it is a great dinner companion.
I reopened it about an hour ago to finish off the review. The strawberries have totally worn off. Now, all I can taste are lychees, but the structure and finish-wise it is very similar. I think I like this version better, to be completely honest.
Would I buy it? It depends on the price. I wouldn’t spend $20 a bottle. It would hold its weight well against most roses in the $10-$15 range, depending on your rose preferences. If you are into Cotes de Provence, this is a slightly different, but comparable wine at a very discounted price point. At $8, it is a very good buy in my book. I’m in.
As a buyer beware, see my comments in the prior rat’s post about some possible seepage.
@kookie00 That is a very nice looking label and a great write-up
@kookie00 great review. I prefer cotes roses but a change of pace is always welcome. Did you notice a bite on the back end? I sometimes get that with roses. Thanks.
@losthighwayz Nope. It was pretty smooth and similar from start to finish.
When I zoom in on the picture from casemates site that cork appears to show some leakage also.
@pluthe
I zoomed in to 500%. There appears to be some moisture on the bottom half of the cork, which is normal. I don’t see any leakage.
The wine is still showing great! Unsure why there’s so much emphasis on the cork here. Happy to answer any additional questions here
@ionwines
Thanks for stopping by, are you the winemaker?
Couple additional questions;
@chipgreen
Hey Chip! RS is 2g RS per liter on this particular vintage. The RS assists in lifting up those tropical notes (guava, lychee) from the fruit. More to enhance mouthfeel than give any sort of sweetness. No batonage on this one. Great questions!
@ionwines thanks for jumping on board! Are you the winemaker? What are the PH and TA numbers? Also, would you say this rose have zippy acidity? Finally, what’s the story behind the bottle? I dig it but not the norm in the world of roses! Thanks
@ionwines Hello and thanks for joining in! I picked on the cork from my bottle as evidence of the flaw, and I’ve had a few bottles with bad seepage in the past which convinced me certain wineries don’t store their wine carefully. Even with good storage, some seepage not unusual, of course. Just usually not out the top of the bottle.
And flaws happen from time to time; I’m not trying to assign blame, just raising a question. It sounds like the other rat bottle was A-OK, which is very reassuring.
@worbx all good. I can assure you that all of this wine has been in a temperature-controlled warehouse since its inception
@losthighwayz 3.26 pH | 6.6 g/L TA at time of bottling. It’s definitely zippy but after a little time in the bottle has more shoulder weight. Acid levels are still holding strong. The story is a long one…when I was designing the label I happened to take a trip to the National Gallery of Art in DC and was in the Rembrant exhibit when making final approval. Needless to say, it’s a “darker” feel and represents a bigger rosé. Hope that helps!
@ionwines thanks for getting back. Some don’t think labels matter but I do. Great label/bottle presentation. Going to take a chance on this.
One more question: how did you come up/determine the unusual blend? Were they left over grapes from your other bottlings?
@losthighwayz have the lodi vineyard under contract and at last, minute decided to increase production in 2018 so worked with a vineyard that was in the 2016 vintage. Best of both worlds.
This the winemaker behind this brand. Good dude.
@ionwines Ben, I’m disappointed that you didn’t ask us to accept this rosé, but excited to try your stuff.
@jfuruno I wondered how long it would take…
@InFrom @jfuruno ha. if I had a nickel friend
I’m in! At that price and with Spring peeping around the corner here in S. Indiana, this feels like a no-brainer.
@cathyk39 amen cathy!
@cathyk39 Where in S Indiana? I’m in Bloomington.
@kookie00 Milltown. About 40 mikes west if Louisville and just over an hour from Bloomington.
mah, who knows? Let’s try it. Hopefully will be pleasantly surprised as I was by the Limonges cremant…
/giphy sweaty-loud-bourbon
@salpo I meant Limoux cremant, not Limonges
/giphy pious-exciting-goat
/giphy yellow-dreary-porter
/giphy unbeatable-chapped-bucket
I mean, I bought GME stock. This seems way less risky.
/giphy impervious-fabulous-lemur
@North316
What’s up, stranger? Hope all is well!
@chipgreen @North316 i second that emotion!
/giphy ambivalent-defeated-recess
We got this wine today and it’s delicious! Such an elegant bottle with a beautiful label. It all goes together.
@pluthe Thanks! Ben has substance.
My case arrived as well! I’m away but will return home this afternoon. Can’t wait to try it given the above post from Pluthe!
Acquired 4 from @wardad , gifted one to #hospital folk next door and drank one, would do a minimum of a half case if it showed up again, not considered a real drinker of this but it was nice and well enjoyed!
@Winedavid49
I’ve had a couple of these now (and gifted one on Mother’s Day - pretty bottle!), and the previous two at home were enjoyed. Unfortunately popped one last night and it was corked. Eww.
That’s only happened once out of the three I opened, but hope that the one I gifted is OK!
@CObrent bummer! Let me know how the others turn out. Not a lot of negative feedback up to this point.