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Winner Details

Rosé Champagne

2019  GOLD: 5     SILVER: 4              BRONZE: 2           COMMENDED: 8
2018  GOLD: 1     SILVER: 4              BRONZE: 3           COMMENDED: 6

The strong year for Champagne continued into the pinks. A category that was thoroughly underwhelming last year pulled in its biggest medal count yet – and a record number of Golds to boot.

It’s good news for restaurants. With rosé still pretty trendy it’s good to know that arguably the most decadently luxurious category of them all is in good shape. Not that that upsell necessarily needs to be a by-the-glass pour for starry-eyed romantics. A good number of our tasters commented that they’re starting to see an increasing openness to drinking it with food on the part of their diners, too.

Interestingly, our tasters don’t seem to mind a bit of sugar either. Whereas Taitt’s white Nocturne topped out at Bronze, its rosé variant made for a popular and well-priced Gold here, backed up by its aristocratic Comtes brother.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘We found some good champagnes at all price points, from the elegant, refreshing, red fruit character, to the bitter, refreshing style.’ Raphael Thierry, Street XO

‘A lot of red fruit, all raspberries, cherries and strawberries. All good quality, there wasn’t a bad one.’ Ian Howard, consultant

‘It’s for special occasions. There is often the same price at Franciacorta but people go for champagne, even if the quality isn’t as good.’ Janusz Sasiadek, Bottles & Battles

‘There were red rosés along with salmon pink. Some were definitely food friendly. It goes beyond just being an aperitif wine, but that does sadly seem to be its main application.’ Martin Lam, team leader

‘Rosé is growing in demand these days. It’s getting more gastronomic – more food friendly.’ Andre Luis Martins, Cavalry & Guards Club

Award winners

Found 19 wines

Sparkling: Rosé - Champagne

Charles Heidsieck, Rosé Réserve -1, Champagne, France

Gold medal winner

‘Good stuff!’ began team leader Jan Konetzki, pointing out notes of ‘rhubarb, lemon sherbet, red apples and raspberry’ and finding it to be ‘dry and crisp, with fine bubbles and good length’. Fellow team leader Andres Ituarte described ‘peach and apricot, and a nuttiness, too’. ‘Refined, delicate and definitely gastronomic, this deserves to be drunk attentively,’ said Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£43.90 Liberty Wines

Taittinger, Nocturne Rosé, Sec -1, Champagne, France

Gold medal winner

This remarkable rosé took Gold for its ‘richness and creaminess, with good weight and balance’, according to an impressed Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, while Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains praised its ‘great depth, with violet notes and lots of ripe red fruit, along with some candied blueberries’. Raphael Thierry of Street XO felt that its ‘savoury and sweet complexity’ led to ‘a fresh, clean finish’, while consultant Ian Howard concluded that it was ‘very well made!’.

£32.59 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Brut Rosé 2006, Champagne, France

Gold medal winner

Carolina W Seibel of Moio Restaurant was taken with this Gold winner’s ‘nose of cranberry, with a light touch of vanilla and tonka bean, leading to complex layers of dense red fruit on the palate, with the tonka bean carrying through, as well as layers of brazil nuts’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn admired its ‘weight and strength, with developed berry notes and brioche’. ‘Really amazing and super well made’ concluded team leader Andres Ituarte.

£147.23 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Laurent-Perrier, Alexandra Rosé 2004, Champagne, France

Gold medal winner

The judges didn’t hold back with their praise as this wine was elevated to Gold. ‘What an amazing champagne,’ began The Cross Kenilworth’s Clément Loubeyre, before describing it as ‘so elegant, and very well balanced’. Team leader Andres Ituarte thought it ‘pretty and feminine, with some sweet fruits’, while fellow team leader Jan Konetzki described ‘smoky salt and rich, ripe fruit’. ‘So complex, yet so delicate – definitely a connoisseur’s choice, and a great appetiser,’ concluded Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£286.59 Bibendum

Angel, Rosé NV -1, Champagne, France

Gold medal winner

Team leader Jan Konetzki described this as ‘monolithic’, as it was awarded a Gold medal, and spoke highly of its ‘complex notes of strawberry and raspberry mixed with sea salt’, adding that ‘it’s the structure that makes this ageworthy’. Consultant Ian Howard agreed, speaking of its ‘good age and a long life ahead’, and praising its ‘beautiful, buttery red-fruit nose, leading to very well-balanced fruit and acidity, along with lovely autolytic flavours that have great length and elegance’.

£97.95 Angel Champagne

Duménil , Rosé Vieilles Vignes, Brut -1, Champagne, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Jan Konetzki noted ‘a savoury, saline, peachy nose with red berries and yeast. A dry, saline, layered palate; this is good value.’ Meanwhile Raphael Thierry of Street XO found an ‘elegant mousse, charming fresh fruits of peach, strawberry and white cherry, and a fresh finish’.

£25.01 Davy's Wine Merchants

Devaux, D, Rosé -1, Champagne, France

Silver medal winner

Moio Restaurant’s Carolina W Seibel noted ‘red berry, lightly floral aromatics; the wine opens to a wild strawberry, complex palate with a fine bead’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club admired the ‘gentle strawberry and pink apple fruit, the refreshing mouthfeel and delicate nectarine aromas with a long finish’.

£42.95 Liberty Wines

Duval-Leroy, Prestige Rosé, Premier Cru -1, Champagne, France

Silver medal winner

Raphael Thierry of Street XO noted the ‘good foam, intense flavour of cherry and a really refreshing profile from the acidity. Forget a Negroni and have this champagne for an aperitif!’ Meanwhile Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair found ‘yeasty notes on the nose’ and ‘fresh, crisp strawberry fruit’ and said the fact that it’s ‘ever so slightly bitter on the finish makes it so nice!’

£35.01 Amathus

Veuve Clicquot, Rosé 2008, Champagne, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Martin Lam noted the ‘rounded, yeasty nose, the complex, raspberry-edged, bready palate and the long and persistent finish’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘fresh cassis, perfumed aromas; ripe raspberry candy and seaweed complexity on the palate and gentle hints of wild berry tea’.

£71.00 Matthew Clark

Palmer & Co, Rosé Reserve, Brut -1, Champagne, France

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Martin Lam noted: ‘A big mousse, with a very floral, lifted nose; with nicely balanced berry fruit and yeasty palate.’

£31.26 Bibendum

Veuve Clicquot, Rosé -1, Champagne, France

Bronze medal winner

Raphael Thierry of Street XO admired the ‘beautiful fruit coming on the nose and confirmed on the palate’, adding: ‘Refreshing bubbles with a touch of sweetness, but the clean finish makes for a charming wine.’

£56.94 Matthew Clark

Le Chapitre, Rosé Brut -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£27.00 Wine Source UK

Lallier, Grand Rosé, Grand Cru, Brut -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£24.35 Boutinot

Alfred Gratien, Brut Rosé -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£39.70 Enotria&Coe

Gobillard, Brut Rosé -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£27.86 Enotria&Coe

Moët & Chandon, Rosé Impérial -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£50.73 Matthew Clark

Moët & Chandon, Grand Vintage Rosé 2009, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£70.00 Moët & Chandon

Taittinger, Prestige, Brut Rosé -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

Laurent-Perrier, Cuvée Rosé, Brut -1, Champagne, France

Commended medal winner

£63.67 Bibendum