A rosé mini study: Ksara, Simpsons, Lalomba, Leoube
Tried these four rosés together. Four countries, all quite high-end, all nicely packaged. Two cork sealed, two sealed with Vino-Lok.
Simpsons Railway Hill Rosé 2023 Kent, England
12.5% alcohol. This is estate-grown Pinot Noir from chalk soils of the North Downs. Intriguing nose of sappy cherry and cranberry fruit, leading to a bright, supple palate showing high acidity but nice leafy red fruits. Finishes fresh. It’s very England-in-May-on-a-country-lane in character. The leafy notes work well, and it finishes strongly. 90/100 (£20 direct from Simpsons, Grape Britannia, Hawkins Brothers)
Lalomba Finca Lalinde Rosé 2023 Rioja, Spain
13% alcohol. Very stylishly packaged, this is a premium Rioja rosé made from Garnacha and Viura, matured in concrete tanks. It has a slightly restrained wet stone and dried herb nose. The palate is savoury and stony with good acidity and taut, restrained, compact fruit with some subtle savoury, pithy hints. This is all about restraint and mineral intensity, and it’s a really gastronomic wine. It’s a bit closed right now, but I think this will have more to give in a few years. 91/100 (£22.95 Slurp)
Ksara Sunset Rosé 2023 Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
13.5% alcohol. This is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Syrah, and it’s quite a deep coloured rosé. This has been made since the 1970s and it’s bottled in a flute-shaped bottle like the ones commonly used for Riesling. This is tart and bright and really fruity with nice energy to the cranberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, with some lemony brightness and good acidity. Very well made with the emphasis firmly on the bold, bright fruit. 90/100
Secret de Leoube Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
14% alcohol. Organic. This is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the latter grape providing an interesting point of difference. This is really good: it’s aromatic and shows some floral notes to the pear, melon and citrus fruits, and then on the palate there’s some fine spicy structure, a hint of white pepper, and then some cherry and Campari notes as well as sleek pear fruit. Shows a nice dynamic range. Very stylish, this is accessible but has a bit of complexity, too. 93/100 (£35 Daylesford Organic, Ocado)
