I get the impression that a number of consumers have switched from previous darlings, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, to rosé with the wealth of offerings leaving them happily spoilt for choice.
I have a soft spot for a glass of cool rosé on the deck at the end of the day ... a chance to relax and unwind before I tackle cooking dinner for the family.
2022 Main Divide North Canterbury Rosé
Rating Excellent
Pale onion skin.
Pungent nose
reminiscent of
sauvignon blanc —
capsicum, sweat,
grassy, nectarine.
Crisp, zingy acidity,
racy and crunchy, fruit
sweetness to the fore
yet closes relatively
dry. Wisps of red
apple and smoke,
picking up a saline
influence on the finish.
Fascinating, hits some
different buttons very
successfully. Fresh
and zingy for summer.
2022 Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Rosé
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Pale rose petal.
Perfumed nose,
watermelon, dried
strawberry, gum,
peach with time.
Pretty classic
strawberry and cream
notes, perhaps a
touch of apricot kernel
adding a bittersweet
nuance. The fruit
sweetness will be
more evident with
time, some hard
candy/wine gum and
candied fruits on the
close with a tangy
note keeping it fresh.
Nice balance.
2022 Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Rosé
Price RRP $24.99
Rating Very Good
Perfumed, some
candied fruits,
fragrance, then
apricot, a hint of
bonfire smoke with
time. Lighter bodied
palate playing in the
sweet and sour
spectrum along with
a fruit pithy quality
that adds to the
texture.
2021 Mont’Albano Chiaretto di Bardolino
Rating Excellent
Orange blush. A more
savoury aspect to the
nose, toffee, white
flowers, florality,
perfume building over
time. Orange zest
leads the palate,
apple, again savoury
characters, a hint of
tannic grip. Develops
an appealing
chewiness, dry yet
there’s a sweet note
akin to rosewater or
turkish delight, a wisp
of licorice too. Nice
balance, complex and
interesting.
www.sartorinet.com/en/montalbano.php
2021 Yealands Reserve Marlborough Rosé
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Orangey onion skin.
Fruit jubes and fruit
sherbet, dusty
stones, anise,
spices. I’m reminded
of West’s pineapple
and pear cordial at
first, before the
flavours evolve to
dried fruits, rose,
gum and savoury
notes. Good raft of
flavours here with a
neat lick of acidity
coming in to keep
this lively. A note akin
to citrus on the close.
Lots to enjoy.
2022 Jules Taylor The Jules Rosé
Rating Excellent
Pale pink. Fragrant
and rather classic
strawberries and
cream aromas with
savoury touches, an
engaging subtlety.
Creamily textured,
strawberries again,
nectarine bring its
own freshness, a
vein of acidity giving
this lovely
brightness. An
attractive bittersweet
quality adds contrast
to the fruit. In a lovely
spot for summer
drinking.
2022 Trinity Hill Thomson’s Block Rosé
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Pale onion skin. An
umami/Marmite-y
quality to the nose,
warm baguette, berry
fruits, mandarin. A
drier expression,
more serious shall
we say, with tannic
structure adding grip.
Tighter and crying
out for food. Opens
out with aeration
bringing cool, just
ripe fruits and tangy
hints into the mix,
growing in length on
the dry close.
2021 Villa Maria The Attorney Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé
Rating Excellent
Orangey onion skin.
Initially wisps of bonfire
smoke and a tiny funky
hint, shifting to pear,
gum, red berries and a
Mackintosh’s toffee
nuance. Fruit
sweetness evident,
tempered by acidity,
finishing dry. Nice
depth here, a bowl of
summer fruits, the
creamy texture
building, vibrant, a
youthful side to this,
yet drinking nicely
now.
