Rosé above £5.50

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Winner Details

2015: Gold 1 Silver 7 Bronze 10 Commended 13
2014: Gold 2 Silver 5 Bronze 3 Commended 9

Europe, for the most part, remains the home of the more expensive rosés found here, and a string of difficult vintages in the northern hemisphere seem to have taken their toll. From three Golds in 2013 we found just one here this year. And while tasters weren’t aggressively negative about the wines, they didn’t find a lot to get excited about either, particularly (indeed, perhaps, surprisingly) from Provence.

Star Performer

Well done to Château L’Ermitage and Spy Valley, both of which picked up a Gold and Silver last year as well.

FOOTNOTE: Rosés under £5.50 can be entered into the House Rosé category

From the Tasting Teams

‘Rosé has to be part of the wine list, it has be part of the by-the glass-offer so if you find one it has to be a killer.” Caroline Brangé, 28º-50º Mayfair

‘There were some much more textured, interesting, aromatic and robust wines here with some tannic aspects which are excellent food pairings – they would work with duck and even fried food. Mya Brown, Vinoteca Marylebone

‘Rosé’s the hardest category to buy. We notice a lot of colour here: at the lower price points anything will go but once you start getting to the top, pale colour becomes extremely important.’ Annette Scarfe MW, team leader

‘The Provence wines were fairly consistent – light and strawberryish, with some roundness – but nothing really stood out.’ Andrea Domenicucci, Whatley Manor

‘A pretty bottle and a pretty price doesn’t make for a good wine. Those wines where more skin contact has extracted more aromas and flavours allowed more food pairing possibilities.’ Michael Harrison, consultant

‘We found confected and dull examples throughout our [Provence] flight.’ Athila Roos, The Arts Club

Award winners

Found 31 wines

Rosé - > £5.50

Château L'Ermitage, Rosé Tradition, Costières de Nîmes 2014, Rhône, France

Elegance and delicacy of fruit elevated Chateau L'Ermitage on to the Gold podium. ‘Good balance between acidity and body, refreshing and supple with good length,’ began Luigi Buonanno of Bianco43, with team leader Olivier Marie adding: ‘Nice aromatics with floral raspberry notes and elegant style.’

£6.15 Boutinot

Spy Valley, Pinot Noir Rosé 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand

‘Dense and fairly complex, with a spicy and lingering finish, making it very much a food rosé with plenty of pairing possibilities,’ said Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone, with Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel adding: ‘Zesty strawberry, balanced palate.’

£10.44 Bibendum

Château Léoube, Secret de Léoube 2013, Provence, France

Team leader Andrea Briccarello noted an ‘elegance more like a white Burgundy’ in this wine, with The Arts Club’s Athila Roos highlighting its 'soft, silky texture, vibrant and refreshing notes of lemon, stone fruits and a hint of honey’.

£18.29 Bibendum

Costaripa, Rosamara Valtenesi Rosé 2013, Lombardy, Italy

‘Pale coral pink, with textured citrus pith and juicy red plums, chalky mineral and some vegetal sweetness,’ said Hakkasan Group's Christine Parkinson, with Luigi Buonanno of Bianco43 adding: ‘Mineral and chalky, good balance, refreshing and light.’

£9.72 Alivini

Wraxall Vineyard, Pinot Noir Rosé 2013, England, England

‘Nice minerality, wet stones, with balanced, zesty fruit,’ began team leader Martin Lam, with Oxo Tower Restaurant’s Lukasz Walkowiak adding: ‘Lots of sweet fruits with a touch of nice acidity, well balanced with a floral note.’

£9.00 Wraxall Vineyard

Jeanjean, Domaine Le Pive Gris, Sable de Camargue 2014, Languedoc, France

Team leader Olivier Marie highlighted this wine’s ‘subtle character and secondary floral notes’, while Luigi Buonanno of Bianco43 said: ‘Peach blossoms, fresh palate and quite lively. Great value for money.’

£5.65 Molson Coors

Estandon, Terres Nobles Rosé, Coteaux Varois en Provence 2013, Provence, France

‘Textbook rosé, crisp and dry, pale and citrusy, simple but effective and good value,’ said team leader Andrea Briccarello, with The Arts Club’s Athila Roos adding: ‘A faint whiff of curly leaf parsley, with bright lemon and strawberry hints.’

£5.85 Bottle Green

Spadafora, Altopiano, Magliocco Rosato 2013, Calabria, Italy

‘Big, bold style that’s great for food with lots of flavour,’ said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, continuing: ‘Savoury and exciting, dry new style.’ ‘A lot of different directions on the palate, which is perfect for food,’ agreed Lukasz Walkowiak of Oxo Tower Restaurant.

£7.25 Eurowines

Bisquertt, La Joya, Gran Reserva Rosé 2014, Colchagua Valley, Chile

‘Fresh nose with flower notes and redcurrant, olive wood, high acidity and a touch of tannin,’ said Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel. ‘Fruity, with peach/nectarine, melon and berry flavours,’ added Vinoteca Marylebone’s Mya Brown.

£6.39 Molson Coors

Château Léoube, Le Rosé de Léoube 2013, Provence, France

Athila Roos of The Arts Club found this ‘intriguing’ and ‘very decent indeed’, saying: ‘Textured, and showing length and complexity, with lemon oil and strawberry fruit, a hint of cream and spice.’

£11.47 Bibendum

Maud Heath, Bramble Hill Rosé 2013, Wiltshire, England, England

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found good minerals and complexity in this example, while Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone highlighted its 'punchy, fruity, confected fruit body with striking acidity’.

£8.40 Maud Heath Wine Trading

San Marzano, Falo, Negroamaro Rosato Salento 2014, Puglia, Italy

‘Lifted nose; palate is fresh and juicy with elegant flavours,’ said consultant sommelier Christophe Richelet, with Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone adding: ‘Peppery and clean, soft, bright, balanced and lovely.’

£7.45 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Covinas, La Copa de Bobal Rosado 2013, Utiel-Requena, Spain

‘Bright, fresh and clean, with wild strawberry aromas. Lively, in a good, simple, clean style on the palate, with strawberry-and-cream flavours,’ said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

£5.42 Enotria&Coe

Dandelion Vineyards, Fairytale of the Barossa Rosé 2014, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

‘Dry style with nice minerals, good value for money,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Vinoteca Marylebone’s Mya Brown agreeing: ‘Dry, spicy, aromatic style with lots of fruit and a vibrant finish.’

£5.50 Liberty Wines

Château Gassier, Le Pas du Moine, Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire 2014, Provence, France

Recommending it for grilled fish, Andrea Domenicucci of Whatley Manor said: ‘Nice minerality, good rounded fruit such as strawberry and melon, with good length.’ ‘Mineral energy and a degree of complexity,’ added Athila Roos of The Arts Club.

£10.25 Enotria&Coe

Chäteau Beaulieu, Cuvée Alexandre, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence 2014, Provence, France

‘Clean and quaffable, with faint aromas of cut grass, lemon and strawberry, with a hint of spice on the palate,’ began Athila Roos of The Arts Club, with team leader Andrea Briccarello noting: ‘Fresh, crisp, vibrant, well balanced, with cherry stone and roses.’

£8.95 Liberty Wines

Joseph Mellot, Destinéa, Pinot Noir Rosé 2014, Loire, France

A ‘crowd pleaser’, according to team leader Martin Lam: ‘Nice, delicate Pinot rosé style with good, fresh acidity.’ ‘Easy-drinking, Pimms style, with soft strawberries,’ added Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

£6.24 Hatch Mansfield

Mirabeau, Pure Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2014, Provence, France

‘Nice nose with spearmint notes, and lively on the palate, a great choice for smoked salmon,’ began Michael Moore of Room 24, with The Arts Club’s Athila Roos adding: ‘Classic Provençal, with herbaceous, thyme flower touches and a zingy freshness.’

£11.50 Matthew Clark