“What do I look for? Drinkability, certainly – in other words, a wine that appeals to the palate and is not too sweet or too acidic, not heavy-handed, clumsy and high in alcohol, not overtly oaky, and not too tannic (tannin is having new-found fashionability in dry whites and rosés – where it used to be verboten). Delicacy is good: lightness is not a disadvantage with this kind of wine. They need to be quaffable, after all.The final clincher for me is complexity. A rosé needs to have character to keep me interested enough to pour a second or third glass. High-quality fruit is paramount: ripe but not overripe, reasonably low in alcohol but not green, and a little extra effort in the winemaking can help add extra character. Barrel fermentation, time on lees, some use of solids in the juice, can all add extra layers.”
His first choice is Terre à Terre Piccadilly Rosé 2019. “Light but rich, pinoty, delicious and far from simplistic in flavour.” Thanks Huon!
Huon Hooke, March 2020
Read the full article here: therealreview.com.au
