Orin Swift winemaker Dave Phinney’s latest project is Department 66, a collection of sleekly packaged wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon. His 2017 Fragile Rosé is salmon-hued with expressive aromas of white peach, cherry blossom, field-ripened strawberries, and orange zest. There is more concentration on the palate than the nose belies, with ample depth and fruit at the core enlivened by a bright, mineral-tinged acid spine. It terminates gracefully with orange pith verging on pink pomelo and dried mint.
90 Points