Rosé roundup: tasting and rating a wide selection of pink wines
Rosé is an important wine category, but still it struggles to be taken seriously by wine geeks. But it’s commercially successful and vibrant. It’s possible to make complex, ageworthy rosé that would fit comfortably into anyone’s definition of fine wine, but the fact that this is rarely achieved probably says more about the need for these wines, rather than the technical difficulty of doing it.
Most rosé is perfectly good, and it’s tasty, but it isn’t serious. Nor should it be: most customers don’t want serious rosé. The evolution of the mainstream style of Provence rosé shows this clearly: the wines have got lighter, and with this there has been a drive to get flavour not from the skins, but by means of techniques such as juice stabulation and using yeasts that enhance aromatics by producing higher levels of the pleasant-smelling polyfunctional thiols, as well as juice fining to reduce polyphenolics and unwanted colour, and inert gas during pressing to preserve fruity aromatics.
But there is life beyond this happy, fruity commercial style of rosé.
Here I’ve pulled together my recent rosé notes to give a pink wine roundup. It’s a real mix of different style and national origins.
95
Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosé 2011 Rioja, Spain
This spends 4 years in large oak and is racked twice a year. Aromatic and nutty with some notes of miso and sweet cherries, as well as raspberries, sour cherries and rhubarb. The palate is fresh but savoury with nice density and some woody hints. Notes of spice, herbs, aniseed and whisky are in the mix, too, as well as wood smoke and negroni. 95/100
Emidio Pepe Cerusualo d’Abruzzo 2020 Italy
Foot trodden for 40 minutes or so and then pressed. Light red in colour. Supple with a peppery edge to the appealing cherry fruit, as well as some pear and citrus notes. Has a little bit of structure, too. Fine, grippy and expressive and quite wonderful. 95/100
Suertes del Marques Malvasia Rosado 2022 Tenerife
Pale-ish red colour. Lovely savoury, structural wine with a bit of grip. There’s a nice savoury, spicy quality here with some grainy structure. Notes of red cherries and plums with lots of style and interest. This is brilliant. 95/100
Château des Sarrins Rosé Grand Cuvée 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
13% alcohol. This is beautiful: pure and textured with bright cherry and pear fruit with notes of aniseed, some Provençale herbs and a long, tapering finish. It is not relying on acid for its freshness, and this keeps it flowing over the palate. Some rose petal and lychee notes, too. Floral as well as fruity, and finely spiced. 95/100
Château Galoupet Cru Classé Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
This has nice concentration with rounded, textured pear and peach fruit as well as a hint of glace cherry. There is an innate richness here. It is floral, textured and broad in the mouth with a slight saltiness and an expanding finish. Layered and fine. 95/100
94
1 Mill Road Pinot Noir Rosé 2023 East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, Canada
12.4% alcohol. 115 and 777 clone, with 22% fermented and aged in used barrels. This was a tricky vintage with some crazy heat spikes, but the wine has turned out well. Supple and fresh on the nose with a sappy edge to the sweet pear and cherry fruit. In the mouth this is really textural with a stony, mineral underpinning to the sweet grapefruit, pear and red cherry fruit. This is a beautifully expressive, complex rosé with real interest. It’s rare to find a rosé like this: gastronomic, complex and with real interest, as well as the potential to develop in bottle. Really impressive. 94/100
Château Leoube Collector de Leoube Rosé 2022 Côtes de Provence
14% alcohol. Fancily packaged in a broad-based, deeply punted bottle, this is a rich, pale-coloured rosé with mandarin, pear and apricot richness, as well as fine-grained structure, with some freshness countering the richer notes, partly accentuated by the higher alcohol that adds a touch of sweetness. This is a really good rosé with lovely layers of flavour. Fine and detailed. 94/100
Gustinella Jungimmune Vino Rosato 2023 Etna, Italy
This is from the western face of Etna, and it’s naturally made from 10 varieties, a mix of white and red. 1100 m altitude, so can’t be called Etna. Fine, fresh and supple with nice brightness. Sappy, light and expressive with delicacy allied to complexity. Such finesse here with real precision and a bit of structure, finishing stony and mineral. 94/100
Agricola VINB ‘TVB!’ Rosato 2022 Sicily, Italy
11% alcohol. This is Nero d’Avola from Vittoria in Sicily, and TVB stands for Te Voglio Bere meaning ‘I want to drink you!’ Pink/red in colour, this is supple, juicy and fresh. It shows lovely bright, sappy redcurrant and cherry fruit with good acidity. So supple, pure and juicy with a bit of structure. Pretty and ethereal. 94/100
93
Catena La Marchigiana Criolla Rosé 2024 Mendoza, Argentina
12.8% alcohol. This is naturally made (no added sulfites) and is fermented and aged in amphorae. There’s a sense of finesse here with lovely texture showing sweet cherry and strawberry fruit with some stony, mineral notes in the background. This has an appealing sweet and sour character with good balance. There’s a hint of sweet acid on the palate belying its low sulfite character, but it works really well. So good to see Criollas taking centre stage like this. 93/100
Musar Jeune Rosé 2022 Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
11% alcohol. This is a blend of Cinsault and Mourvèdre, low intervention and no oak. This has a lot of personality. It’s juicy and spicy with some wild strawberry and citrus fruit, as well as some spice, pepper and a bit of structure. Finishes with sour cherry and a nice bitter twist. Really gastronomic. 93/100 (£17.99 ND John, Vino Gusto, Wadebridge Wines, Taurus Wines, East London Wines, The Southern Cellar)
Quinta da Pedrogosa Family Estate Rosé 2023 Algarve, Portugal
13% alcohol. Beautifully packaged, this rosé shows lovely texture: it’s ripe and rich, but has nice grainy detail and some notes of white pepper that balance the lush strawberry, rhubarb and peach fruit out beautifully. There’s also some mandarin here. Lovely depth of flavour, finishing slightly salty. 93/100
Château d’Esclans Les Clans 2022 Côtes de Provence, France
14% alcohol. This is rich, warm, harmonious and slightly spicy with a hint of white pepper and sweet strawberry and cherry fruit. There’s lovely depth to this with nice concentration and soft, textural fruit. Expansive and generous. 93/100 (£75 Hedonism)
Alône Rosé 2022 Vin de France
13.5% alcohol. This is textural and bold with rich spice and honey as well as pear and peach. Textured with a touch of watermelon freshness, and a nice spicy quality under the fruit. Very expressive. 93/100
Minuty Prestige 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
12.5% alcohol. Delicate and fine with nice depth on the palate, showing bold pear and peach fruit with some mandarin and fine spices. This is really expressive with a wide dynamic range, showing depth but also freshness. 93/100 (£22 Majestic, Jeroboams, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Laithwaites)
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)
Pasqua 11 Minutes Rosé Trevenezie IGT 2024 Italy
12.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this beautifully packaged rosé (look through the hole in the front label!) has pronounced (and pretty) aromas of passionfruit, grapefruit and mandarin, and with an added floral dimension. In the mouth it shows nice texture with delicate citrus and cherry fruit, with a seamless quality and even a touch of salinity. This is quite beautiful. 93/100
92
The Heretics Pale Rosé 2023 Crouch Valley, Essex, England
12% alcohol. Pale in colour, as it says on the label. Fine, fresh, textural and expressive with some sappy detail as well as bright cherry and plum fruit. Nice energy on the palate with crystalline citrus fruit, as well as nice green leafy hints in the background. I love the acid line here: very present in the mix but not dominating. Light and delicate, but with good presence. 92/100
Château Leoubé Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
14% alcohol. Organic. This is bright and aromatic with perfumed peach, pear and strawberry fruit on the nose. Quite exotic. The palate is broad, smooth and sweetly fruited with a hint of watermelon and then some fine spiciness on the finish. Plump, attractive and easy, this is classic Provence rosé. 92/100
Ktima Ligas Le Rosé Xinomavro 2020 Pella, Greece
13.5% alcohol. No added sulfites here. Distinctive aromatics with a bit of lift and some tropical hints, and also sour cherry and a touch of olive and garrigue. The palate has a sweet acidity (there are traces of volatility) and notes of spice, cherries, raspberries and some balsamic notes. Really complex. 92/100
Château Lauriga Rosé 2024 Côtes du Roussillon, France
13% alcohol. This is nicely put together, with a core of sweet pear, mandarin and cherry fruit, showing some richness and concentration on the palate. There’s some mealy richness here, and also a hint of sweetness (perhaps just from the rich fruit), and it offers a lot of pleasure. Bold but balanced. 92/100
Ricasoli Albia Rosé 2023 IGT Toscana, Italy
13% alcohol. Juicy, bright and vivid with nice cherry fruit and a bit of spice. This is tart, stony and mineral with a savoury twist to the fruit. Quite gastronomic with nice energy to the fruit. 92/100
Foncalieu Le Versant Grenache Rosé 2024 Pays d’Oc, France
13% alcohol. Very pale in colour. Lightly aromatic but comes alive in the mouth with sweet strawberry and ripe pear flavours, showing some exotic notes and a nice fresh finish. There’s a lot of palate weight here, and it’s full and quite delicious with an innate richness at its core. Lovely sweet, ripe fruit. Impressive. 92/100
Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2024 France
14.5% alcohol. Pale pink with a hint of red. Fresh floral cherry fruit with a hint of watermelon on the nose. In the mouth, this is quite rich with some creaminess, ripe – almost stewed – strawberry and a soft, smooth finish. The alcohol adds body and sweetness. Just a hint of white pepper on the finish. This is quite stylish. 92/100 (£14 The Wine Society, Ocado)
Minuty M Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
12.5% alcohol. In a classic skittle bottle. This is nicely textured but stays bright, with compact citrus, strawberry and cherry flavours, backed by good acidity and some stony notes. Quite refined, if not particularly exotic or showy. Really impressive. 92/100 (£18 Majestic, Ocado)
Château Minuty 281 Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
12.5% alcohol. Very pale in colour. Delicate, fine and fruity with smooth, textured pear and wild strawberry fruit. Nicely layered with some watermelon and spice. White pepper and some subtle mandarin notes, too. Interesting, but too expensive. 92/100 (£55 Hedonism, Amathus, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges)
91
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)
Tenuta Minchella Fabiano Rosato 2024 McLaren Vale, Australia
This is made from Primitivo. Pale pink. Supple and light with fresh, expressive fruit. This has a stony edge to the fruit with some strawberry as well as citrus. Sweet fruit but dry. 91/100
Laurent Miquel Alaina Rosé 2024 Pays d’Oc IGP, France
12% alcohol. Attractively packaged in a squat bottle. This is fresh and youthful with lovely pear drop and cranberry characters, offering some concentration of flavour, really appealing fruity notes, and then juicy acidity. This is just right: fun but with a hint of seriousness. 91/100 (£13.50 Waitrose)
Agur Vineyards Rosé 2024 Judea, Israel
Pale orange/pink in colour, this is a nicely textured rosé with some creamy depth to the pear and strawberry fruit, with a touch of citrus brightness and a mineral, stony edge to the finish. It’s appealing and drinkable, with admirable freshness as well as ripe fruit, and also has gastronomic aspirations. 91/100
Caves D’Esclans Rock Angel Rosé 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
13.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this is nicely textured and manages to be rich but at the same time quite delicate, with subtle pear and lemon fruit, and maybe just a hint of cherry. It has plenty of weight on the palate, despite the delicacy, with some melony richness. Finishes lively and spicy, and there’s quite an after-taste, with some warmth from the alcohol giving it a twist of sake character. 91/100 (£27 including Majestic, Vintas and Friarwood)
Famille Lafage Miraflors 2024 Côtes Catalanes, France
12.5% alcohol. This is pale, light, pure and has good energy with pear and white peach fruit, as well as a gentle texture, finishing with a hint of wet stone and white pepper. This is really delicious. 91/100 (UK retail £15)
Château Minuty Rosé et Or 2024 Côtes de Provence, France
12.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this has an aromatic, appealing nose of pear drops and white peach. In the mouth, it is fresh, fruity and youthful, with lots of fermentation esters and vivid fruit. Juicy and supple, this is a crowd-pleaser. 91/100 (£30 Hedonism, Selfridges)
90
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)
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
Jean Leon 3055 Rosé 2023 Penedès, Spain
13% alcohol. Full-ish pink/orange colour. Lively, stony, quite mineral with a slight creaminess under the bright red cherry and berry fruit. Full flavoured but well balanced, and quite gastronomic. 90/100 (£14.35 Vinvm, Nicholls & Perks)
89
Laurent Miquel Vendanges Nocturnes Night Harvest Rosé 2024 Pays d’Oc, France
12% alcohol. This is pale in colour, and bright, dry and stony with cranberry, cherry and citrus fruit. Fruity, but nicely tart with a touch of stoniness. 89/100 (£10 Waitrose)
Mas de Daumas Gassac Rosé Frizant Extra Brut 2024 France
12% alcohol. This is Charmat method. Juicy, bright and vivid with pear and cherry fruit, with a twist of sour cherry and then some nice bitter hints countering the sweet fruit. This is juicy and delicious. 89/100
Imako Vino Estate Selection Rosé 2023 North Macedonia
12.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this is juicy and bright with a touch of raspberry and strawberry, as well as some citrus. It’s light bodied and has some mineral character, with the fruit slightly supressed, finishing stony. 89/100
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé 2024 Coteaux de Beziers, France
12% alcohol. Very pale in colour. Youthful and appealing with pear drop and cherry on the nose, leading to a rounded, fruity, exuberant palate with ripe pears, strawberry and a touch of citrus peel on the finish. Lots to like about this wine. 89/100
88
Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Grenache Rosé 2024 Pays d’Oc, France
12% alcohol. Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir. Pale orange pink in colour. This is lively, fruity and bright with citrus and mandarin fruit, finishing bright and dry. Nicely balanced with a spicy flourish at the end. 88/100
Rogers & Rufus Grenache Rosé 2023 Barossa, Australia
11.5% alcohol. This is fresh, stony, bright and citrussy with nice focus and some tartness. There’s a hint of creaminess here, too, and it finishes bright, with pronounced acidity. Refreshing in a lighter style. 88/100 (£15.99 Latitude, Whalley Wine Shop, Drinks Direct)
86
Torres Viña Sol Rosé 2024 Spain
11% alcohol. Some colour here: a full pink/red. This is fresh, delicate and fruity with cranberry and watermelon characters as well as hints of honey and pear. Nice freshness with all the emphasis on the fruit. Not very weighty on the palate, because of the low alcohol, but perfectly pleasant. 86/100
85
Warwick The First Lady Dry Rosé 2024 Western Cape, South Africa
11.5% alcohol. Pale in colour. Light, fruity, tart and bright, with some wet stone notes, some citrus and a hint of orange peel. Finishes a bit short. 85/100 (£12.99 Savana, Vinvm, Hard to Find)
NR
Torres Viña Sol Rosé 0.0% 2023
Dealcoholized wine-based beverage. Orange/pink in colour. There’s a wet stone edge to the nose which shows cranberry and lemon fruit. In the mouth this is juicy, bright and fruity with nice acidity. There’s a stony edge to the fruit and it’s a bit hollow. It tastes fruity and enjoyable, a bit like cranberry juice, but not very wine like.
