Bubble and spark
14/12/2011 11:06:00 a.m.
A few sunny days means I’ve started thinking about Rosé again, and the terrifyingly fast approach of Christmas and the New Year has got me musing about everything bubbly. Both of these are very summery drinks, but together they become super festive. At the latest meeting of our tasting group, the suggested theme was Sparkling Rosé. This time, as well as our blind tasting, one of the group had organised for us to taste a number of NZ produced Sparkling Rosés. We didn’t taste these blind, but tried hard not to be influenced by the brands. The price range was pretty wide, and it’s not very fair to plot some of the more expensive wines against the cheaper ones, but that gave the opportunity for a very modestly priced wine to wave its flag.
Our two favourites in the line-up were Quartz Reef Rosé from Central Otago and Deutz Rosé 2006 from Marlborough. We also enjoyed the No 1 Family Estate Rosé and Brancott Reserve Rosé, but the pleasant little surprise of the tasting was that the cheapest wine showed better than some more expensive examples. Lindauer Rosé was surprisingly good. It’s not on the same level as the favourites, but then it’s a quarter of the price.
Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle Rosé NV has a pale pink colour. Blackberry, cherries and spicy notes combine with a yoghurt autolytic note. $35.00
Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Rosé NV was my favourite, a kind of yellowy pink colour with a very toasty nose. The palate is full and rich, showing some stonefruit in the mix and great acid balance. This won a silver medal in this years Air New Zealand Wine Awards. $43.99
Brancott Estate Reserve Brut Rosé was a more salmon pink, with some autolytic notes and raspberry jam joining a slight toastiness. The palate was toasty too, showing off the Gisborne Chardonnay that is the largest component of the wine. $25.99
There are some very good examples of pink fizz being made here at the moment, and I recommend trying all of these wines. If the prices are a bit out of your range, though, trusty old Lindauer Rosé is a very solid option.
