rosé colour
The politics of rosé colour.
(Image credit: ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo)

Or should you just stick to the most recent vintage...?

Does rosé wine age well? – ask Decanter

Stephen Powell, London, asks: Does rosé age, or should I always go for the most recent vintage?

Richard Bampfield MW, a wine educator, speaker and judge, replies:

Dry rosé wines in the Provençal style would generally be drunk as young as possible, preferably from the most recent vintage.

However, new entrants such as Domaines Sacha Lichine are introducing oak-aged rosés (Garrus, Les Clans), made from their best grapes, and there are early indications that these have ageing potential.

The top dry rosés from Bandol are also considered to have ageing potential over perhaps three to five years.

SEE ALSO:

Sweeter styles of rosé such as Rose d’Anjou and Californian blush Zinfandel, as well as rosés from the southern hemisphere, are definitely made to be drunk as young as possible.

The one exception to the ‘drink rosé young’ rule is vintage rosé Champagne, the best examples of which age wonderfully.

Mature vintage rosés from Dom Pérignon, Dom Ruinart, Roederer Cristal, Billecart-Salmon and some others deserve a place among the world’s greatest wines.

First published in the July 2014 issue of Decanter. Subscribe to Decanter here. 

  • Got a question for Decanter’s experts? Email us: editor@decanter.com or on social media with #askDecanter

More questions answered:

Acidity and wine age

(Image credit: WikiCommons/Steffen Hausmann)

Acidity and wine age – ask Decanter

Does acidity remain constant or can it alter over time? Stephen Skelton MW explains the relationship between acidity and wine

champagne cellar

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Do crémants age as well as Champagne? – Ask Decanter

Does Crémant de Bourgogne age as well as Champagne?

Ageing Chianti Classico wines – ask Decanter

Ian d'Agata on how well Chianti ages...

wines sweeter younger

Why do wines seem sweeter younger?
(Image credit: Cath Lowe/Decanter)

Are wines sweeter when they are younger? – ask Decanter

Why do wines seem sweeter when younger...?

wine tasting

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Primary vs tertiary wine aromas: what’s the difference?

What is the difference between primary and secondary aromas?

High alcohol wines – ask Decanter

Do higher alcohol levels in wines impact on cellaring potential and drinking windows?

Rosé winemaking

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Rosé winemaking methods – ask Decanter

How do I know how my rosé is made?

Rose Wine Quiz

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

The rosé wine quiz – test your knowledge

pale rosé wine colour

Pale isn't always best...
(Image credit: Ullrich Gnoth / Alamy Stock Photo)

Is pale rosé wine better quality? – ask Decanter

Always pick the lightest...?

Richard Bampfield MW
Richard Bampfield MW
Richard Bampfield MW joined the wine trade upon graduating with a French degree from Cambridge University in 1981. He managed retail wine shops in the North West of England for JW Lees Brewers, and then spent a year getting his hands dirty in vineyards around the world, including working in wine cellars in California and Australia. After passing the Master of Wine exam in 1990, Bampfield joined Australian producer Brown Brothers, and managed their European operations until 1999. He left them to set up his own company, specialising in public relations, and offering wine talks, tours and courses. Principal clients include: Yvon Mau (Bordeaux), Albert Bichot (Burgundy), Lidl, Leith’s School of Food and Wine, Santa Rita (Chile), Château Sociando-Mallet, and the English Wine Group. Bampfield is a past chairman of the Association of Wine Educators and was the European Champagne Ambassador 2009.