07 Aug 2024
I’m a firm believer in rosé being an all year-round wine, especially given the emergence of high quality gastronomic rosé that don’t need sunshine to be enjoyed. But the sunshine is coming out for a few hours each week so I’m sharing some of the best and in some cases, the not so well-known rosés for our Great British Summer.
Rosé wine, popular for its delicate pink hue, is produced through a unique range of winemaking processes.
Direct Pressing is when the grapes typically used for red wine are crushed and pressed. The juice is immediately separated from the skins, minimizing colour extraction. This yields elegant, pale-coloured rosés, also known as “vin gris.” Popular varieties include Pinot Noir (California, Oregon) and Grenache/Cinsault (France, especially Provence).
Drawing Off (Short Maceration) is similar to red winemaking, but after six to 48 hours of fermentation, the juice is removed from the skins, this halts colour extraction, preserving freshness. Wines from Tavel and Languedoc-Roussillon (southern France) exemplify this method.
Saignée (“Bleeding”) is similar to drawing off, but only some juice is separated for rosé, the rest continues fermenting with skins to produce red wine.
Rosé becomes a by-product, allowing more concentrated red wine, common in regions like Napa and Sonoma.
Blending is where after fermentation, a white wine is supplemented with a bit of red wine to achieve a pink hue. This is used for rosé Champagne (but prohibited elsewhere in the EU) and is also used for simple, fruit-forward rosé in the New World.
That’s the educational bit over so let’s get onto my recommendations…
W/O Organic Nero d’Avola Rosé 2023 (£13.99/£9.99 Mix 6+ from Laithwaites)
W/O – wine made without compromise, and that’s certainly the case for what Laithwaites describe as a “tingly fresh rosato”. The grapes are organic, and the wine is bottled in 100% recycled ‘wild’ glass, too, which was a first in the UK. A fresh, crisp and light wine with flavours of raspberry, grapefruit and peach. Perfect on its own, or alternatively pair it with chicken dishes.
Mouton Cadet Organic Rosé 2021 (£12.95 from SLURP)
Mouton Cadet’s winemakers got together with nine partner winegrowers to rigorously select 25 hectares of organically cultivated vine to produce this wine. It’s so fresh and fruity, with the zestiness of citrus fruits along with watermelon and raspberries. This wine is a serious alternative to Provence rosé and absolutely loved by Mrs M. Chill it right down and enjoy with a range of seafood or goat’s cheese.
Rock Angel 2022 (Clos19 £27; Waitrose, £22.99; Majestic, £29.99/mix 6 £22.49)
Move over Whispering Angel, your big sister is here! Made with grapes primarily sourced from the vineyards of Château d’Esclans and in the style of a classic Provence rosé, this wine offers a more complex and structured taste profile compared to Whispering Angel. On the palette there’s a lovely roundness, firm acidity providing an extra freshness. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle largely from old vines grown in La Motte, Provence. Aromas of red berries, and a rare minerality for a Côtes de Provence with a touch of spice on the palate and a creamy texture from the oak. It’s the oak ageing that helps elevate this wine above others. This wine can be enjoyed any time of day, with smoked salmon for breakfast, oysters at lunchtime or even grilled red meats or pizza in the evening. Be warned, once you’ve tried it, you may never go back to your ‘go-to’ rosé.
Le Rosé de la Clarière 2023, Bordeaux (£14.99/£12.59 Mix 6+ from Laithwaites)
Coming straight from Tony Laithwaite’s “treasured” Côtes de Castillon estate, this blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot is fermented slowly in stainless steel at cool temperatures, so every ounce of summer berry fruit and zippy freshness is captured. This wine has a fresh, crisp edge with flavours of cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Very versatile when it comes to food pairing, but we enjoyed this one on its own.
Ramón Bilbao Rosé 2023 (£9.75 from CO-OP)
Originally made with the aim of recovering a classic Rioja Alta wine, the Ramón Bilbao Rosé 2023 vintage is now available and is very definitely a modern classic! The 80% Garnacha and 20% Viura grapes were selected from vineyards planted at between 550 and 770 metres altitude in different estates on the Alto Najerilla on the slopes of the Sierra de la Demanda. A young, light and refreshing with lovely acidity that enhances the strawberry
and raspberry flavours. Perfect as an aperitif, but delightful with carpaccio or your favourite seafood risotto.
Journey’s End Wild Child, Grenache 2023 (£14.50/£13.50 Mix 6+ From Noble Green Wines)
This Grenache rosé is made from vineyards nestled in the Citrusdal Mountains, some 50km from the well-known Swartland wine region. This area provides the perfect natural environment for vineyards to thrive. At 750 meters above sea level, the plateau’s climate is characterised by warm days and cool evenings., which allow grapes to slowly ripen and develop complex fruit flavors. This very beautiful light pink style rosé was carefully crafted and displays an abundance of succulent strawberry, luscious cherry and raspberry flavours with subtle rose petal undertones that forms a surprisingly delicious experience. Goes particularly well with salads or charcuterie and cheese.
IXSIR Grande Reserve Rosé 2023 (£29.50/£26.55 Multibuy from The Great Wine Company, £22.49 from The Fine Wine Company)
IXSIR’s Grande Reserve Rosé 2023 is a blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah grown on three of the winery’s six mountain range vineyards. Despite Lebanon being such a hot country, the winery’s aim from inception was to produce elegant wines. This gave rise to IXSIR’s philosophy of planting its grapes as high as possible to extract maximum freshness and complexity.
The Grande Reserve Rosé 2023 is made from 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault and 30% Syrah. This breakdown stays more or less constant each year, to keep the same character in the wine.
Specific plots within the Halwa, Kfifane and Jezzine vineyards are set aside to produce the Grande Reserve Rosé, as they each bring a different element to the finished blend.
I’ve absolutely loved tasting the white wines from IXSIR so it’s with great pleasure I got to taste their rosé. This vintage is very expressive – fragrant and floral nose, red fruits and with a creamy texture on the palate, this wine has a long finish and good acidity. Great with a range of foods from grilled meats and spiced, Asian cuisine through to cheeses recommended by Jessica Summer @mousandgrape, which include Burrata with grilled peaches, balsamic glaze and pistachios or creamy soft blue cheeses like Beauvale or Gorgonzola Dolce.
Until the end of September, when quoting IXSIRpicnic10 at The Great Wine Company you will receive 10% off all wines in the IXSIR Grande Reserve range.
