A toasty 20 degrees on Saturday led to thoughts of chilled rose on the deck.
Alas, the Sunday saw a high of just 10 degrees, so thoughts returned to hearty reds.
I’m sometimes guilty of pigeonholing rose as an aperitif style yet as this group today amply shows,
it is far from a one-trick pony, with so many of the wines combining up-front deliciousness with a depth and backbone that will see them readily complement food.
2021 Jules Taylor The Jules Marlborough Rose
Price RRP $24.99
Rating Excellent
Floral notes. Musk &
spice shifting to
strawberry and
perfume. Richly
textural in the mouth
with a mix of hard
candy and cashew nut
notes on the
attractively dry mid-
palate. Fruit sweetness
here too, running to a
dry finish with a wisp
of salinity adding
freshness and lift. A
nice package, offering
lovely depth of flavour
and cracking drinking right off the bat.
www.julestaylor.com
2021 Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Rose
Price RRP $21
Rating Excellent
Floral nose,
strawberry, banana
skin, gum, musk,
immediate appeal.
Strawberry to the fore
on the palate adding
spice and fruit jelly,
perhaps a wisp of
cherry with creamy
texture and nice
persistence. Fruit
sweetness yet dry with
a good lick of acidity
to keep it fresh. Hits
the refreshment
button. A nice package
already drinking very well.
www.riverbyestate.com
2021 Astrolabe Comelybank Marlborough Rose
Price RRP $32
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Pale coppery rose.
Sweetly fragrant, fruit
jube, rose petal,
spiced pears,
attractive and
appealing, giving a
drier impression with
aeration. Fruit
sweetness leads along
with a creamy texture
yet finishes quite dry.
A succulence to this,
like biting into crisp,
fresh fruit leaving a lip-
smacking, salivatory
finish. A nice rendition
of a dry style.
www.astrolabewines.co.nz
2021 Astrolabe Marlborough Rose
Price RRP $28
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Pale rose petal.
Powerful, expressive
nose, fragrance draws
you in, flitting between
dried strawberry,
peach & banana skin,
a little savoury nuance
adding to the interest.
Good palate weight,
creamy initially,
flowing to a more
crunchy grainy texture
with a bittersweet
element adding
intrigue to the close.
Bone dry and should
be bang on with food.
www.astrolabewines.co.nz
2021 Misha’s Vineyard The Soloist Pinot Rose
Price RRP $28
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Pale blush pink. Slurpy
berryfruit, strawberry,
fresh banana, a yeasty,
bready ester. Juicy
vibrancy to the palate,
berryfruit, white cherry,
clotted cream, a spicy
touch, neatly marrying
a supple mid-palate
with zesty freshness
on the close. The nose
and palate swell with
aeration building in
weight and depth. A
super each way
aperitif/food friendly
bet.
www.mishasvineyard.com
2021 Rockburn Stolen Kiss Rose
Price RRP $30
Rating Excellent
Pale rose. A tangy,
slightly savoury quality
initially moving to
white flowers and fruit
pastilles. Quite bold in
the mouth, a
perception of
sweetness, ripe
peach, berryfruit,
blood orange,
nectarine with rich
viscosity. Feels a
whisper drier than last
year, fruit sweetness
yet a relatively dry,
greengage plum
accented fresh finish. A powerful style.
www.rockburn.co.nz
