Despite what you might expect, getting rosé right is a challenge. Well, it has to be, because so much rosé is terrible.

What always irks with typical monosyllabic modern pink wines is the acid/sweetness balance. Early picked/barely ripe/overcropped fruit is machine harvested, given a little skin contact for colour, then fermented cold and quick before some heavy-duty filtering to get rid of any flavour. Sometimes the ferment is stopped early for a little residual, but the ‘dry is best’ modern mantra means less sugar and less flavour. The resulting wines are usually just flavourless white wines with a little orange/pink for colour. And people fucking love them…

But this Even Keel Rosé 2020 is not like that. A blend of Mornington Peninsula Tempranillo, Pinot Noir & Syrah, the fruit just-ripe, the juice wild fermented in barrel and goes through full malo, then 3 months in barrel before bottling. All that winemaking makes this ultimately so much more involving (and delicious). Coppery orange coloured. Lovely creamy texture to this, the extra year in bottle just fleshing it out further. Wonderful gently and delicate with this strawberry cream vibe that it’s almost like a ripe Champagne.

What a success. Sam Coverdale has done it again. Sold out at the winery, but still available in retail land, and well worth your dollars.

Even Keel Rosé 2020. Best drinking: now. 18.5/20, 94/100. 13%, $32. Even Keel website. Would I buy it? Yes.