Smart Schwarz & Longview Rose and an Aussie Brachetto

Ah the frustration of the acute accent on the e in rosé! So often missing in action, leaving you to wonder why someone is talking about how delicious it is to drink a flower.

I only use it when describing a style (ie rather than in a wine name), but even then I forget about it all the time. Annoying, as savoury rosé is delicious and plenty is drunk in the Graham household. Thus it’s a constant battle with the ‘special characters’ button in my browser…

Anyway, here are a few pink wines for your pleasure:

Schwarz Wine Co. Barossa Valley Rose 2015

A blend of Grenache & Mataro that was picked, crushed (but not destemmed) and then spent 24 hours on skins and stems before pressing, then a wild ferment in tank. Pale orange pink, though still has some colour, there is a really lovely strawberries and cream nose to this – the fruit sufficiently ripe. That said, it’s just a little angular, but that contrasts with well enough lees richness and fruit to keep you coming back. Smart, sessionable rosé with really quite surprising depth. Good! Best drinking: 2016-2017. 17.8/20, 92/100. 12.8%, $22. Would I buy it? Sure would.

Longview Boat Shed Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo Rosato 2015

This is the Longview wine I’d most like to drink. Orange pink, the nose has some strawberry and cream, the palate with a gentle, strawberry and cherry lightness, cast in a form that is as much about acidity as it is fruit. It doesn’t feel sharp or awkward though – indeed this is the ripest under this line yet. Maybe skittle extra residual? Regardless, it just works, producing a simple, pale, savoury, Provence-gets-some-Nebbiolo rosé with good balance. Yes. Best drinking: 2016-2017. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12.5%, $19.50. Would I buy it? Off a wine list I’d smash a bottle of this no probs.

Soumah Yarra Valley Brachetto d’Soumah 2015

Now here is a little fun! This is one of just a handful of Aussie Brachetto (along with Pizzini) around. In its traditional home of Piedmont Brachetto is made as a juicy sweet dry red – a red spumante if you will – that is frequently somewhere closer to a tannic moscato. Here it follows that trend but in a later picked, drier style, delivering a rose pink mouthful of red strawberry fruit, the nose a riot of rosewater, red fruit tingle and raspberry, the palate juicy and sweet although the finish is drier than expected (2 baume is circa 36g/L). A viable Moscato alternative (and fruity rather than syrupy), this is fun, primary juice, even though I do prefer the ‘sweet, tannic red wine with bubbles’ Piedmont style a little more than this. Best drinking: 2016-2017. 16.5/20, 88/100. 12.5%, $29 (500ml). Would I buy it? A glass would be enough.

Audrey Wilkinson Hunter Valley Rose 2015

Shiraz and Merlot with a little Semillon, this spends 5 months on lees. There’s just a little pink sherbet to match the raspberry fruit, a nod to just a little sweetness. End product is not complex, but nice juicy fruit and sweetness isn’t overdone, if just a bit skinny on the finish. Solid. Best drinking: 2016. 16.5/20, 88/100. 12.5%, $22. Would I buy it? Not quite.

Art Wine The Temptress Clare Valley Rose 2014

Current release, which is curious. Tempranillo based, this just off-dry wine is burnt orange/salmon in colour, the nose slightly muted but with the sweetness giving some lift. Most of the flavour on the palate left 12 months ago, however, and this ultimately doesn’t do much. Best drinking: 2015. 15/20, 83/100. 12.5%, $20. Would I buy it? No.