What makes a premium rosé plus 12 to seek out

Weight, complexity and ageability are all important qualities to look out for in premium wines. Many garner cult followings and excite hot passion and buying frenzies. But what else makes these types of wine so premium and sought after?

Are they rare and made in tiny quantities? Atypical? Fantasy projects? Or are they creative examples of what a wine might achieve outside of the constraints of commercial pressure? This debate is particularly true of premium rosé.

Scroll down to see Elizabeth Gabay MW’s top picks of premium rosé wine to try

Fans of the fresh, simple style of rosé regard oak use as a betrayal of the essence of rosé. Oak characters or greater structure can shock. Some Provence producers are firmly against putting rosé in oak. But good oak-aged rosé will have the weight and extract to support the oak, creating more powerful, complex wines.

High-end aged and oaked rosés, such as the Viña Tondonia rosé from sought-after Rioja producer López de Heredia, have become part of the establishment. Releasing older vintages is a break from tradition.

Behind-the-scenes conversations with winemakers reflect some frustration with this constant demand for pale, fresh and uncomplicated rosé, contrasted with the winemakers’ desire to be more artistic.

Often made in smaller volumes, premium styles of rosé don’t fly off the shelf as quickly, not just because of their higher price, but because they are different, either in terms of colour, structure, use of oak or even origin. Sometimes unexpected creativity can produce a slightly shocking result.

The colour of rosé doesn’t always indicate quality. Find out more here

Bandol rosés are often complex, structural and long-lived, especially if they are Mourvèdre-based (although there are a growing number made in the Provence-style). Some are fermented and aged in oak or amphora and all are released with some age. However, only Domaine Tempier sells above £25.

The word ‘Provence’ is still a major selling point when it comes to rosé, and although exciting rosés come from other regions, Provence is still the source for most premium priced rosé.

There are many other different rosés which show great flair and creativity, but didn’t make the list as they fall into the slightly lower price bracket of £20-£25. In fact, this price bracket can be a minefield as there are many wines which are superb – think Bandol, Tavel and Clos Cibonne – but also many others which are less exciting and still priced relatively high, based on a marketing image.

See Elizabeth Gabay MW’s recent article on full-bodied rosés here

Most rosé is selected by its colour and presented in a clear bottle. Less than 10% is bottled in dark glass. But among premium rosé, the number of wines bottled in dark glass is higher, protecting the wine from light strike and also rendering the bottle recyclable. It also tends to indicate a producer who is rising above selection by colour.

Serious rosés are best drunk at around 12C, not fresh from the fridge, and when youthful can benefit from decanting.

Making rosé wine

There are three main methods of making rosé wine: direct press, saignée, and blending.

At its most basic level, a pale pink rosé is made from red grapes, usually harvested around two weeks prior to the red wine harvest. The grapes are chilled to prevent colour leaching out, and are then gently pressed. The smaller the press, the shorter the time the grapes spend on the skins. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures ranging from 10 to 18C.

The saignée method typically involves taking a proportion of pink-tinged juice out of a tank destined to make red wine.

Depending on the yeast used, different fruit profiles are accentuated. After fermentation, some rosés sit on the lees for a couple of months, but many are bottled quickly and are ready for drinking by February and are best consumed within the year.

Some added weight and structure can be obtained through slightly longer skin contact or a small addition of juice bled off the red wine.

Premium rosé wine to try:

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