Rosé wine from France

This delicately coloured pale pink wine is made by Mark Perrin, who also makes Brad and Angelina's famous, and much more expensive, Provençal rosé at Château Miraval.

The inviting floral nose of this blushing beauty offers hints of aniseed and watermelon too, with summer fruits—red apples, strawberry, cherry—on the palate. There's no need to have food with this easy-going and ever so slightly romantic wine, but it does go very well with picnic food, tapas, or a buffet.

Judged top rosé in Irish Times staff tasting with John Wilson, it would make a great alternative to 'red or white' for your next function or get-together.

‘“Smells really fruity, and is a bit more robust, has a bit more body than your usual rosé”, said one taster. This was the most popular of all the wines tasted. Medium bodied, with plenty of ripe but tangy cherry fruits.’
(From the Irish Times magazine, June, 2012)

‘Tried and trusted southern Rhône pink, with masses of light, fruity, yet lip-smacking red berry verve.’

Jane MacQuitty, The Times, 26th May 2018

Dry, pale Provençal rosé made from organic grapes grown in vineyards where the difference between day and night temperatures helps to retain as much as possible of the fresh red berry aromas that make this such an appetizing choice.

The judges at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards awarded this wine a score of ninety-five points and a gold medal—one of only six rosés entered to earn gold. Decanter's summary is a temptation in itself:

‘Silky and creamy in texture, possessing ginger, wild strawberry, spices and pastry characters. Admirable phenolic extract and depth beneath the aromatic delicacy.’

A 'cascavel' is the regional word for a small iron animal bell. You may need a bit of warning that the herds are approaching, once this deliciously brisk and sunshiny wine has been uncorked.

Vibrant pink colour, with a strikingly complex constitution and rich aromas of red fruits. Sumptuous flavours of strawberry liqueur, framboise, and flowers. Dry, balanced, and long - a rosé wine for the intellectual as well as a simple pleasure for the rest of us.

"This is a rosé where the natural texture and exuberant aromatics are compelling" - Robert Parker

Enjoy as an aperitif, with grilled prawns or salmon, or turn a sandwich into a banquet.

Mas de Bressades uses the saignée method to produce its rosé: pink wine can be produced as a by-product of red wine fermentation; when a winemaker wants to give a red wine more tannin and colour, a portion of the pink juice is drawn off from the must at an early stage and the remaining red wine is concentrated as a result of this 'bleeding'. The pink juice removed can be fermented separately to make high-quality rosé.

Formerly known as the Costières du Gard, a VDQS, appellation status was achieved in 1986 and the name changed to Costières de Nîmes in 1989. It used to be considered part of the Languedoc—today it is assigned for wine purposes to the Rhône. One-third of its wine production is pink.

This is a focused and brisk rosé, with the sought-after pale golden pink colour typical of Provence. Its mineral freshness and delicate aromas of citrus, red fruits and white flowers introduce a vivacious wine whose full fruit character is revealed on the palate and swells to a lingering, silky finish.

Association with the celebrity owners of the estate seems to have done the wine's reputation no harm, and the critical reaction has been positive.

From an estate consistently applauded for its rosés, this is a simply delicious example of the Provençal style. Its inviting strawberry aromas are laced with suggestions of bergamot and roses, and the full, poised texture in the mouth is packed with ripe redcurrant fruit and fresh acidity.

There is more than enough substance in this lovely rosé to make it a match for all kinds of meals—its juicy energy and racy finish would perfectly suit a salade niçoise but could step up with aplomb to the rich intensity of a ratatouille or even simply treated game.

‘…floral aromas mixed with bright strawberry fruits, more strawberry on the palate, a pleasing texture with a bit of heft, with a citrus tinged finish.’
Leslie Williams, Irish Examiner, 13th June 2020

We get just a few bottles of M. Cherrier's rosé Sancerre each year, and they sell out pretty quickly.

Don't hang around if you're tempted by the thought of a serious rosé with ravishing Pinot Noir perfume and sumptuous pale colour in a bone dry wine with succulent fruit flavours and fine Sancerre minerality. A very special choice for seafood, light meals and long, light evenings.

Dry but rather luscious Rhône rosé, blended from vines that are on average at least forty years old to give a robust wine with raspberry and strawberry aromas, and a clean, well-balanced palate. Its full, fruity flavours make it a satisfying appetizer or a tasty partner for spicy foods, cold meats, cheeses like Camembert and Brie, and even fruit- or chocolate-based desserts.

Of course it's wonderful to drink rosé in the sunshine, but—if you happen to find yourself on a cloudy day—it's almost like getting a postcard from the south of France to enjoy a glass of this delicately coloured and refreshingly fruity quaffer from La Vieille Ferme.

‘The best vintage yet of the Perrin family’s extraordinarily popular rosé from the southern Rhône valley is an alfresco humdinger. It’s made by the wine wizard Marc Perrin, who also produces the tip-top Provençal pink, Miraval, and has lashings of easy-swigging, elegant red-berried fruit.’
The Times - 2020

Dry but rather luscious Rhône rosé, blended from vines that are on average at least forty years old to give a robust wine with raspberry and strawberry aromas, and a clean, well-balanced palate. Its full, fruity flavours make it a satisfying appetizer or a tasty partner for spicy foods, cold meats, cheeses like Camembert and Brie, and even fruit- or chocolate-based desserts.