Rosé Wines
Rosé has been one of the great growth stories of recent years, and for good reason.
A number of factors have contributed: drinkers have enjoyed increasing exposure to the pleasures of rosé on holiday in the Club Med countries; rosés have become paler, fresher and drier, helping to shed the old associations of dark, soupy and sweet examples (remember the old Mateus Rosé); and perhaps warmer summers here have helped - is there anything nicer than sitting in a garden on an English summer evening with a bottle of rosé?
We've always taken the view that the French make the best rosés in the world, at any price level, and there is plenty of choice on offer. The finest examples come from Provence - our Bandol from Domaine de la Ribotte is sensational, and Quatre Tours’ Signature example is delicious too; but in summer we may also offer fine examples from Bordeaux (based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot); the Loire (Sancerre rosé from Pinot Noir and others from Cabernet Franc); and especially the Languedoc, source of brilliant value rosés usually based on the Rhône grapes of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault.
Each year we look at Spanish and Italian rosés too, and may ship some if we like them. However we tend to be more circumspect with New World rosés. First, overall standards are simply not as high as in Europe; and even where success is achieved, there is a problem in timing. Almost all rosé is best enjoyed young - you want to drink the latest vintage. However, it’s hard to get Southern Hemisphere wines here before the English summer is almost over - so they then sit in our warehouse unloved all winter.
A word on winemaking: classic rosé is made only from red grapes - but because the colour in wine comes largely from the skins, rosé is usually made by taking the crushed grape juice off the skins after just a few hours of soaking. Note that deeper colour does NOT imply sweetness, simply a longer period of maceration on the skins. On the whole the rosés we offer are dry wines - do consumers realise those sweet blush Zinfandel rosés from California are positively fattening in their sugar content?
Finally, whilst most rosé is enjoyed on its own as an aperitif, dry styles are fine to accompany a wide range of food, especially grilled fish and prawns; and examples with just a little bit of ripe sweetness make an excellent pairing to spicy food, notably curries. A rosé has more fruit than a white, so can stand up to the strong flavours better than a white, but served cold it’s equally refreshing.
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La Madeleine, Juli, Pinot Nero Rosato, 2023
Light-Bodied
A surprise: who would have thought one would find an elegant Pinot Noir rosé in southern...
OriginItaly
RegionUmbria
ColourRosé
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeMAD523
GrapePinot Noir

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40% Chardonnay sourced from the best Crus in the Champagne region, 30% Pinot Meunier from the...
OriginFrance
RegionChampagne
ColourRosé
ABV12%
Bottle75cl
CodeBISNV5

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This iconic rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir from the finest Crus in Champagne. Rich and...
OriginFrance
RegionChampagne
ColourRosé
ABV12%
Bottle75cl
CodeLPR5NV

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Naos is a Greek temple or shrine. This is one of the Pinot family’s top cuvées, from 60%...
OriginFrance
RegionProvence
ColourRosé
ABV13.5%
Bottle150cl
CodeCFL923
GrapeGrenache

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Bandol, a small appellation on the coast east of Marseilles and west of Toulon, produces...
OriginFrance
RegionBandol
ColourRosé
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeRIB523
GrapeMourvedre & Monastrell

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Clos Floridène, in Pujols sur Ciron in the Graves region, was established on just two hectares...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRosé
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeFLO523
GrapeMerlot & Cabernet Sauvignon

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The team at Des Dieux, with vineyards high in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, are aspiring to make a...
OriginSouth Africa
RegionWalker Bay
ColourRosé
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeDDD523
GrapeSyrah , Mouvedre & Grenache

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Organically farmed since 2020, north of Aix-en-Provence on plains 350m. above sea level. A...
OriginFrance
RegionProvence
ColourRosé
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeSEU523
GrapeGrenache, Syrah & Cinsault

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A characteristic Provençal blend based on Grenache and Syrah with Cinsault and Rolle...
OriginFrance
RegionProvence
ColourRosé
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeCPS423
GrapeGrenache, Syrah & Cinsault

Organically farmed since 2020, north of Aix-en-Provence on plains 350m. above sea level. A...
OriginFrance
RegionProvence
ColourRosé
ABV12.5%
Magnum150cl
CodeSEU923
GrapeGrenache, Syrah & Cinsault

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We sell far more of the Petit Pont Rosé than we do of the equivalent white and red added...
OriginFrance
RegionLanguedoc
ColourRosé
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodePEP524
GrapeGrenache & Cinsault

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From approximate halves of Syrah and Grenache, this unfailingly delivers splendid ripeness and...
OriginFrance
RegionLanguedoc
ColourRosé
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeGRV423
GrapeSyrah & Grenache