The Grand Rosé Tasting

With Paul Ippolito

It was a defining moment when I finally admitted to myself that this Rosé stuff wasn't such a bad style of drink; actually, it wasn't half bad at all and in all honesty, it was really quite a good summer drink.

I knew it had to happen one day, it really was quite inevitable as, in reality, the Rosé renaissance had been happening all around me for quite a fair while now, accompanied by the sheer amount of Rosé coming on the marketplace which has meant, as a wine writer, it's hard to avoid the stuff (yer, tough life, eh!).

Having said this, it's taken more than quite a few samples to bring me back onto the team, so to speak, and expunge all those indelibly indifferent and some outright bad memories of some of those fire-engine-red sickly sweet cordial tasting Rosés of many years standing in my mind.

Memories, to be quite frank, that would have me not being caught dead drinking the stuff other than for professional reasons! And may I say I was in good company with this view up until recently.

So what caused the 180° turn you ask? How did this out-of-fashion pink wine come back in vogue, set the trends ablaze and redefine itself as a damn good summer drink?

Well, I could say to you that in my case, it was one particular Rosé that caused the cathartic moment of conversion, but it wasn't really like this. It's been a gradual process of slow acceptance of not bad Rosé after good Rosé after bloody good Rosé, all in the line of work of course, that had me slowly swaying back on side.

And once they got me over the line, it was like I had always been on the team - none of this "where have you been all these years" business. No, just a defining moment as I said, when Rosé was and had for me always been the most natural preferred drink on earth.

Generally the long standing problem Rosé suffered was that a fair few winemakers tended to see Rosé as a style of wine that was more an afterthought or a remedial act to cure some other winemaking imbalance than a wine of its own. Rarely was it a wine style that was expressly set out to be crafted of its own volition by a winemaker setting out to create the perfect Rosé. There are a few exceptions and not mentioning especially Turkey Flat and Charles Melton Wines at this point as long held Rosé stalwart wineries would be a travesty on my part.

But all of a sudden, a lot more of these good winemakers cottoned on to the fact that if you made Rosé differently, more carefully and in a more balanced style with the fruit, acidity and residual sugar components all in a bit more harmony with each other, not too dry and not too sweet, it tasted rather good and after the second glass (and with food) bloody marvellous. Now top this off with a warm and balmy Aussie evening, a few friends around and some Thai cuisine or barbeque seafood, and all of a sudden, we have lift off!

This Rosé makeover has set off the wine fashion trendsetters and the rest, well, is history.

Modern Rosé is about wine of gloriously alluring pinkish-reddish colour accompanied by fragrantly fresh and uplifted aromas, lively and crisp acidity, and a litany of fruit driven aromas intertwining strawberry, blackberry, cherry and raspberry characters that just deliver succulently on the palate all with mouth-watering flavour.

They are also balanced with a lovely mouth feel and acidity to make them easy to drink, glass after glass and as I said perfect with food. And not to mention, very good value for money!

Now, here's my view on a few pretty good examples of Australian Rosé that scored over 90/100 in a recent tasting;

Annies Lane Rosé 2005 - Clare - gorgeous vibrant dark salmon pink with strawberry red hints - all fruit driven yet elegant - upfront raspberries and strawberries - lively fresh acidity - soft finish and well balanced. Eat with vegetarian gourmet pizza - 91/100.

Centennial Vineyards Rosé 2005 - Southern Highlands - salmon pink - luscious - vibrant - delicate persistent purity - strawberries, succulent red cherries and glorious bubblegum - soft supporting acidity - light, fresh. Eat with calamari salad - $16. 92/100.

Charles Melton Rosé of Virginia 2005 - Barossa - gorgeous purple - fresh and youthful - luscious and succulent - lush strawberry, exotic raspberry and ripe blackberries - juicy fruit - well balanced. Eat with chicken parmigiana - $20. 95/100.

Cuttaway Hill Estate Rosé 2005 - Southern Highlands - gorgeous salmon pink blush - raspberry and cherry aromas - dry style - lots of fresh fruit - fresh and lively - soft - berry fruit - good length - easy drinking. Eat with Pad Thai Noodles - $15 - 92/100.

Devils Lair Fifth Leg Rosé 2005 - fresh salmon pink - cherries, luscious strawberries and fire engine red raspberries - subtle sweetness - balanced with fresh lively soft acidity - succulent berry fruit - lingers long. Eat with Antipasto - $14. 92/100.

DeBortoli Gulf Station Rosé 2005 - Yarra Valley - pink blush - aromatic strawberry and raspberry - classy elegance from the Pinot Noir - minerally characters - lightly oaked - well rounded mouth feel - dry finish- gravelax - $17. 91/100.

Doonkuna Estate Rosé 2004 - Canberra - salmon pink - very lightly confectionary strawberry and raspberry - slight hint of citrus - martini like - succulent and dry - very good subtle easy drinking. Eat with char grilled baby octopus - $14. 92/100.

Hungerford Hill Rosé 2005 - Clare - Light salmon pink - pleasant nose - vibrant - elegant - young, fresh and crisp - delicate fruit - subtle raspberry and blackberry - dry style- balanced. Eat with marinated baby octopus - $16 - 90/100.

Ingoldby Rosé 2005 - brilliant - purple crimson violet - pure raspberry, and cherry - alluring - luscious, gorgeous and subtle - vibrant and upfront - mouth filling, velvety ripe and fruity - lovely - long finish. Eat with Vietnamese rice paper rolls - $16 - 94/100.

Innocent Bystander Pinot Rosé 2005 - Yarra Valley - delicate soft pinkish red - strawberries and raspberries - slight confectionary - aromatic - elegant - full flavoured - well rounded and long clean finish. Eat with honey prawns - $17 - 94/100.

Miceli Pinot Rosé 2004 - Mornington Peninsula - salmon pink blush - delicate purity of fruit - light cherry and strawberry - lean bodied - dry finish with fruit driven characters - smooth , well rounded - subtly oaked. Eat with corn-fed chicken - $20 - 91/100.

Mount Majura Rosé 2005 - Canberra - light red salmony pink - aromatic and luscious - fresh, lively and soft acidity - persistent distinct concentrated fruit driven - sappy strawberry and ripe cherries - dry yet mellow and soft. Eat with seafood - $16. 91/100.

Pyramid Hill Rosé Saignée 2005 - Hunter Valley - fire engine strawberry red - succulent strawberry and raspberry - fresh crisp and lively acidity - gorgeous fruit driven mouth feel - well rounded berry fruit flavours. Eat with king prawns - $20. 92/100.

Paul can be contacted by email at Paul_Ippolito@hotmail.com where you can also request to be placed on his mailing list for his wine newsletter.

About Paul Ippolito.