Rosé Champagne
2016 Gold: 3 Silver: 2 Bronze: 4 Commended: 11
2015 Gold: 2 Silver: 8 Bronze: 2 Commended: 3
Our tasters rarely award more than two places on the Gold List here (and, indeed, there were none in 2014) so on the face of it three Golds was not bad going. But, as often in the Sommelier Wine Awards, it’s rarely that simple.
A look at the medal comparison to last year (above) shows that beyond our three popular winners there was less strength in depth than in 2015, with high prices not always backed up by complexity in the glass, which perhaps explains the generally lukewarm feedback.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘These were very elegant wines – very fresh for the most part, and very consistent. I do a lot of pairing with champagne – it has that character that goes with seafood.’ Andre Luis Martins, The Cavalry and Guards Club
‘This was our most challenging flight – we had a long discussion for every wine. There are many very different styles – and customers have very different expectations, too.’ Marcin Oziebly, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn
‘I had expected to be energised by the flight – but in fact it was quite disappointing overall. Our panel were split all the way and I’ve not fallen in love with any of them.’ Jade Koch, team leader
‘Sparkling rosé is very much a must in certain operations, like nightclubs, and they need it to give a competitive advantage, so there is a lot of marketing around it.’ Joaquim Alba, Aramark at JP Morgan