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Winner Details

Rosé above £6.00

2018  GOLD: 6             SILVER: 11       BRONZE: 8       COMMENDED: 16
2017  GOLD: 4             SILVER: 6         BRONZE: 5       COMMENDED: 23 

Rosé is growing in popularity and finally, it seems, the world’s winemakers are beginning to get the hang of it. This was comfortably the category’s best performance since the Sommelier Wine Awards began in 2007.

There aren’t many ‘mixed entry’ areas of this competition where France dominates, but this unquestionably is one of them. All the Golds and most of the other medals were from De Gaulle’s land of 246 cheeses.

Stylistically, it’s all about the pale pinks of Provence, rather than dayglow Garnacha. Price-wise, our tasters seemed to take the view that, when it came to our Gold List, our putative customers would be happy to pay for good pink stuff – only one of our Golds sneaked in under £10, and the Château d’Esclans Garrus tipped the scales north of £80. But there was no shortage of really good Silvers for a tenth of that price, making this a section of SWA with real strength in depth.   

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘I was surprised at how high the prices were at the top end, but the quality was there. Overall these were all elegant, and Provence in style. I don’t think you’re thinking too much about food here. It’s about swimming pools, about being outside.’ Raphael Thierry, Street XO

‘Everyone thinks rosé is easy – and it’s not. There’s one or two where the winemaker should be taken out and given a damn good thumping.’ Tom Forrest, team leader

‘They should be fun. We sold about three bottles of rosé by the bottle in the last year.’ Alex Pitt, Typing Room ‘We sell bucketloads of rosé. The most important thing is the colour, people want that pale salmon rosé. The darker wine in our flight was one of the best, but people would turn it away.’ Andrés Ituarte, Coq d’Argent

‘We didn’t like many of the wines. That age-old thing of using a bit of sugar to cover things up – some had RS and bitterness.’ Hamish Anderson, Tate Catering

‘It was far better at the more expensive end where we could see the freshness, the purity of the fruit, the balance. You have to spend more than £10 with these wines to get it right.’ Diana Rollan, More than Wines Academy 

Award winners

Found 41 wines

Rosé - > £5.50

Domaine Montrose, Prestige, Rosé 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot had praise for this Gold Lister’s ‘elegant, fragrant nose matched by soft elegance on the palate’, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighting a ‘beautiful nose, with floral and red fruit notes’, while team leader Jade Koch enjoyed its ‘pear drops, spice and minerality’. Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy thought the ‘fresh raspberry and strawberry on this classic rosé’ made it a great match for salmon or ceviche.

£13.09 Jascots Wine Merchants

Minuty, M de Minuty, Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Gold medal winner

This sophisticated rosé took Gold amid praise from our judges, with Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoying its ‘rose petal aromas, good bright fruits and fresh acidity, with complexity on the palate’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young felt it was ‘long and classy, with a lovely scented nose anchored by red berries, and mineral and textured on the palate’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS found ‘a smoky edge on the aroma’ of this ‘elegant wine, with a creamy texture’.

£13.34 Matthew Clark

Château d'Esclans, Garrus, Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2015, Provence, France

Gold medal winner

‘A special wine,’ began Vinoteca’s Charlie Young as it took home the Gold, going on to describe ‘orange rind and ginger aromas, a fresh textured palate with lots of complexity and a definite oxidative nature, very much in harmony’. ‘Serious wine,’ nodded Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, agreeing that its ‘complexity reaches further than your average Provence rosé, with lovely smooth straw and geranium notes on the palate and great body’.

£80.43 Bibendum

Mirabeau, Azure, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Gold medal winner Food Match

‘Morello cherry and orange peel on the nose,’ began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry in his praise of this Gold medal rosé, finding ‘good fruit and a balancing note of bitterness on the palate’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted ‘berry juice and light flowers, with rich minerality and complex sweet, sour red fruit’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS felt its ‘punchy blossom nose, strawberry jelly and lovely ripe, fragrant fruit palate’ would be ‘ideal by the pool’, and a good match for raw fish.

£11.80 Bibendum

Château de Campuget, 1753, Syrah/Vermentino Rosé 2017, Rhône, France

Gold medal winner

This was a hit with our judges, who pronounced it worthy of Gold for its ‘intensely aromatic nose led by ripe cantaloupe melon skin and pulp as well as ripe, sweet peach’, according to Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who described a palate that had ‘more ripe fruit and good concentration’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason further described a ‘tropical and creamy character, and juicy fruit – a balanced and fresh wine’.

£10.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Jeanjean, Mas Neuf, Sauvage, Rosé 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

This was ‘classic southern-French rosé’, according to Gennaro Carafa of Hedonism Wines, and worthy of its Gold medal for its ‘fragrant and light Mediterranean bouquet’, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club highlighted some ‘very pronounced aromas of apple, pear, nectarine and a touch of red berry with honeysuckle, followed by quite precise granite minerality and a long finish’. Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych imagined this working perfectly with ceviche.

£9.68 ADVINI

Robert Oatley, Hancock & Hancock, Grenache Rosé 2017, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason was intrigued by this wine’s ‘interesting style, unique, with aromas of creamed rice, a whiff of smoke and iodine, followed by fruit compote on the palate’, whereas team leader Laura Rhys MS found ‘bright summer berry fruit, good weight with nice acidity and some mineral notes’.

£8.56 Hatch Mansfield

Vignes de l'Eglise, Monrouby, Rosé, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Andrea Briccarello admired this wine’s ‘great salmon pink colour, and dry, balanced palate with plenty of strawberry notes’, while Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel also noted ‘lime, raspberry and wild strawberry, fruit concentration and candied peel notes, mineral salinity on the finish’.

£6.50 Liberty Wines

Planeta, Rosé 2017, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

A food wine, said team leader Angela Reddin, who found ‘a nice fresh nose of summer berries and hints of kumquat, good grip in the mouth with some herbal character’. Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia was surprised to find it ‘sweet and fruity on the nose, but savoury on the palate’.

£8.30 Enotria&Coe

Costaripa, RosaMara, Rosé, Valtènesi 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

A ‘soft and plump, very juicy’ style, said team leader Andrea Briccarello, with ‘lots of fresh and vibrant fruits on the palate’, while fellow team leader Nigel Lister picked up a ‘yeasty note with gentle fruit and a subtle, tight structure’.

£11.38 Alivini

Minuty, Château Minuty, Rose et Or, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Silver medal winner

‘Heady and opulent,’ began team leader Jade Koch, noting ‘pear drop and summer fruit aromas, good acidity then juicy, peachy fruits, and finishing with a hint of pepper’ with approval, while for Vinoteca’s Charlie Young it was ‘quite pungent, dry and full on the palate, making an elegant food wine’.

£22.74 Matthew Clark

Boutinot, Joli Beaurose 2017, Beaujolais, France

Silver medal winner

A ‘mineral, fresh nose, delicately clean and crisp, then red fruit with some melon character on the palate and finishing with a grapefruit zing’, said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, while L’Enclume’s Pierre Brunelli picked up ‘salmon colour, fresh herbs, notes of raspberry and a fresh palate with a salty tang’.

£6.95 Boutinot

Château Gassier, Esprit Gassier, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Silver medal winner

Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte enjoyed this wine’s ‘easy-drinking, ripe fruit, Bellini peach juice character with touches of floral and mineral notes’, and Street XO’s Raphael Thierry noted ‘lovely rose petal and Morello cherry aromas, structure and balance with a good finish’.

£10.46 Enotria&Coe

Château La Verrerie, Rosé, Lubéron 2017, Rhône, France

Silver medal winner

‘Smoky and saline on the nose,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who found ‘redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit, deep and rich on the palate with elegance, giving a versatile style of rosé’. ‘Nice depth and weight, with floral notes and nice freshness,’ added team leader Laura Rhys MS.

£12.45 Liberty Wines

Château Maris, Rosé de Nymphe, Grenache Noir 2016, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Simon Woods felt this rosé was ‘ripe and tender, has good salty edges and gentle red berry flavours, it grows on you’, and Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted ‘crisp wild strawberries with fresh, sweet herbal notes, clean red fruit on the palate and a gentle finish’.

£12.51 Bibendum

Minuty, Prestige, Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Silver medal winner

Street XO’s Raphael Thierry found a ‘restrained nose of strawberry, very elegant fruit in a bright, fresh, softer style of Provence rosé’, with team leader Laurent Richet MS highlighting ‘a slight sandalwood, almond note of richness, with soft cherry and strawberry and a touch of residual sugar’.

£17.26 Matthew Clark

Alignan Neffiès, Buffe Vent, Rosé 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot noted ‘rose petal colour, compressed rhubarb aromas with a warming palate’, while Typing Room’s Alex Pitt found ‘nice brightness with some red berry character as well as white peach notes’.

£8.50 Eurowines

Château d'Esclans, Les Clans, Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2016, Provence, France

Bronze medal winner

Full of ‘pretty strawberry, red cherry, almond, fresh sourdough and cranberry juice’, began team leader Laurent Richet MS, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte admiring its ‘white flowers, pure stone fruits, hints of carnation, light and delicate but with a finish that defies the laws of physics to go on and on…’

£38.01 Bibendum

Château Beaulieu, Cuvée Alexandre, Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence 2017, Provence, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Light like a soufflé, elegant with notes of liquorice allsorts and pear drops,’ began Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young liked it for its ‘clean and pure nose, savoury and mineral with good texture, popping with redcurrants’. ‘Seriously quaffable!’ added Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn.

£10.85 Liberty Wines

Cavit, Terrazze della Luna, Pinot Grigio Rosato, Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2017, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club thought this rosé had ‘fresh, wild strawberry aromas with perfumed violet notes, fresh crushed berries on the palate with light peppery notes’, while team leader Simon Woods found it ‘lively, crisp with tangy, perky red fruit’.

£6.40 Boutinot

Domaine d'Estienne, Rosé, Coteaux Varois en Provence 2016, Provence, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Nice colour, with a light orange tone, round mouthfeel with peach and nectarine notes, a little saline and white pepper to finish,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, with team leader Laurent Richet MS finding it ‘delicate, vibrant and floral, with clean redcurrant, for a hot summer day’.

£8.05 Eurowines

Araldica, Leccio, Chiaretto, Monferrato 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Laura Rhys MS thought this rosé had a ‘fresh, elegant summer fruit style’, finding it ‘juicy and bright on the palate with creamy strawberry fruit and vibrant mouthfeel’.

£6.25 Boutinot

Orsogna, Lunaria, Pettirosce, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Intense cranberry nose, followed by fresh cherries and blueberry on an off-dry palate, showing plenty of plump, juicy character,’ said team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£8.48 Cantina Orsogna

Willunga 100, Grenache Rosé 2017, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

Bronze medal winner

Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant was taken by this rosé’s ‘sweetly smoky strawberry aromas, good structure and intriguing depth’, with team leader Andrea Briccarello noting a ‘lightly fruity nose, great sapidity and cherry stone notes’.

£8.94 Liberty Wines

Garzón, Estate, Pinot Noir Rosé 2017, Maldonado, Uruguay

Bronze medal winner

Hamish Anderson of Tate Catering liked this wine’s ‘appealing floral nose and very high acid with minerals on a lemon-scented palate’, finding it ‘super-fresh, tight and stony with lots of character and good fruit’. Like a ‘strawberry Mivvi, with creamy vanilla and some herbal savoury notes’, added team leader Angela Reddin.

£11.33 Bibendum

Domaine Montrose, Mon Rosé de Montrose 2017, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

Barkan, Special Reserve, Rosé 2016, Upper Galilee, Israel

Commended medal winner

£15.00 Kedem Europe

Gaintza, Rosé 2016, Getariako Txakolina, Spain

Commended medal winner

Alpha Estate, Rosé 2017, Amyndeon, Greece

Commended medal winner

Famille Helfrich, Château de la Galinière, Rosé, Côtes de Provence Ste-Victoire 2016, Provence, France

Commended medal winner

£11.00 Sandhams Wines

Kavaklıdere, Ancyra, Blush 2017, Central Anatolia/Aegean, Turkey

Commended medal winner

Quinta do Vallado, Rosé 2017, Douro , Portugal

Commended medal winner

£10.14 Bibendum

Familia Schroeder, Saurus, Pinot Noir Rosé 2017, Patagonia, Argentina

Commended medal winner

Château Gassier, Le Pas du Moine, Côtes de Provence Ste-Victoire 2017, Provence, France

Commended medal winner

£11.19 Enotria&Coe

Château Roquefeuille, Cuvée R, Côtes de Provence 2017, Provence, France

Commended medal winner

£12.90 ADVINI

Zonte's Footstep, Scarlet Ladybird, Rosé 2017, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, Australia

Commended medal winner

Château du Donjon, Rosé 2016, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£8.71 Enotria&Coe

Domaines Fabre, Cuvée Dédicace, Rosé 2017, Provence, France

Commended medal winner

Fairview, Rose Quartz 2017, Coastal Region , South Africa

Commended medal winner

£10.55 Liberty Wines

Leone de Castris, Five Roses, Rosato, Salento 2017, Puglia , Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.95 Eurowines

Kir Yianni, Akakies 2017, Amyndeon , Greece

Commended medal winner

£9.43 Bibendum