Wine Type: Sparkling Rosé

(2024) A fine rosé, blended from 78% Pinot Noir along with Pinot Meunier and 5% Pinot Précoce, a.k.a Frühburgunder. The base wine was partially fermented in Burgundian oak barrels and stayed on the lees for 53 months. The wine has only 6g/l dosage, yet there's such a strawberry shortcake impression of creamy and sweet summer pudding fruit on the nose, the autolysis sits very nicely. In the mouth the mousse is gently persistent, and that strawberry fruit edges into a sharper raspberry and lemon acidity, a touch of barrel spice and elegant, cool length.

(2024) Spier's traditional method rosé cones from the Western Cape and is 100% Pinot Noir. A small percentage was fermented in old French oak barrels, and it was aged on the lees for 14 months. Coppery-pink, the bubbles are moderate and aromas are of rosy red apples and pastille fruits. Though Brut, there is an impression of sweetness and a zippy burst of lemon.

(2024) Made by British-born Tim Wildman MW, a Pét-Nat that's 43% Arneis, 23% Zibibbo (Muscat), 21% Nero d'Avola and 13% Fiano. It is 'Brut Nature' with zero dosage, bottled under crown-cap and only moderately sparkling compared to a full spumante style. Sweet peach and confectionery notes join bitter orange and a yeasty creaminess on the nose. In the mouth it has an almost Negroni-like phalanx of bittersweet flavours, carried on a foamy mousse that subsides quite quickly to leave this textured and racy. Pert mid-palate fruitiness, then the finish has grown-up notes of bitter almond and quinine. Intriguing, refreshing and different.

(2024) The Blend here is 35% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier, plus 30% Pinotage. It's an 'assemblage' with 2% made as a Pinot Noir red wine. It was bottled in 2018 and disgorged in March 2021 with residual sugar of 9.2g/l. Nicely meaty and yeasty on the nose, there's an umami aspect to small red berries. In the mouth the mousse is quite luxurious. There's a crispness with the zippy citrus acid core here, but that redcurrant and cranberry fruit character and hints of spice and meatiness gives mouthfeel and richness.

(2024) From a family owned and run producer, a Champagne with a delightfuly deep cerise colour coming from the addition of Pinot Noir made as a red base wine into the blend. Gorgeous rose-hip and cherry finesse and elegance runs through the nose and palate, a little toast, and dazzling raspberry-sharp acidity to balance. This is Brut, with around 9g/l dosage, but it finishes gastronomic and savoury. A bargain at Mann Fine Wine's price - other retailers sell for £10 per bottle more.

(2024) From Dorset a sparkling blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay with just 2g/l dosage. Made using the traditional method, 50% is fermented in neutral barrels with natural yeasts, before the second ferment for a minimum of 24 months on the lees. This bottle mostly from the 2019 vintage, with 18% reserve wines and disgorged 11th July 2023. Lots of foamy mousse and a very delicate mother of pearl to peach colour. Quite a lot of leesy, bready autolysis here giving some toast and cinder toffee, then a real mouth-filling wine with plenty of ripe berry sweetness, but the low dosage and thrust of lemony acidity gives real zip and real gastronomic appeal.

(2024) The Goring family's West Sussex estate, Wiston, was planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir in 2006. This wine spent 42 months on lees and was bottled with 8g/l dosage. Quite a deep bronze colour, an indication that this is an 'assemblage' with 15% vinified as red wine, there's a lovely rhubarb and hint of truffle depth to tangy raspberry fruit. The palate marries vibrant Seville orange, more raspberry and a hint of juicy strawberry, but with excellent acidity never wavering at the core. Long and delicious from ace winemaker Dermot Sugrue.

(2024) The 2010 blend is 45% Chardonnay, 44% Pinot Noir and 11% Pinot Meunier, my bottle disgorged January 2020 after almost 10 years on the lees with 9.7gl residual sugar. This is absolutely fresh - in some ways seeming more fresh than the 2013. The foamy cushion of mousse subsides to reveal distinct biscuit and buttery notes to small, redcurrant-like fruit and citrus peel. That toasty element - rarely found in pink sparkling wines - gives a richness and softness on the palate. A much more crisply-focused raspberry and lemon thrust of fruit and acidity asserts on the mid palate, leading the way into a shimmering acid finish, the dosage just softening the edges nicely. At time of review The Wine Society's price of £120 is very keen.

(2024) The new vintage of Nyetimber's Prestige Cuvée is an assemblage, with 14% still Pinot Noir joining a blend of 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay. It was fermented in stainless steel, with old oak barrels used to age the red wine portion. It spent almost six years aging on the lees, and was held back an additional three and half years post disgorgement. Peachy-pink in colour, aromas are of raspberry and strawberry, but there's a fascinating nutmeg spice and chestnut background. In the mouth, again raspberry giving a tart, dry appeal, a streak of Seville orange acidity lengthening the finish. The mousse does add a cushion of textural softness, but this is decisive, savoury and complex wine.

(2023) Petite Douceur is Gosset's off-dry rosé, the extra sugar combing with extra-long maturation to produce a bronze-tinged wine with rich red fruit and a delicate sweetness. The fruit is all Grand Cru, a blend of 60% Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and 40% Pinot Noir from Bouzy, Ambonnay, and Cumières. It's an assemblage, made with 7% still Pinot Noir. It's a full, raspberry and strawberry scented wine with quite robust fruit flavours and a certain umami, savoury character. The fruit and cushion of mousse fills the mouth. In truth it comes across as just off-dry, with lovely weight, texture and acidity all fleshing out and cutting through the sweetness. A deliciously well-balanced Champagne. Ocado and Waitrose online are among the stockists, though at time of review the quoted supplier has a very keen price.