WineCanine

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....