Rosé Season Is Here – The Best Bottles for 2023 

Raise Your Glass to Rosé Season 

With Spring well underway, it is time to start thinking about Rosé and all the delights the season has to offer.  With so many Spring and Summer drinking options to choose from, we have put together some of our favourite rosés for leisurely drinking as an aperitif, or pairing with a delicious lunch with friends. Drinks to enhance those sunny days and lift the cloudy ones.

Van Hunks Cap Classique Sparkling Rosé

Crisp, refreshing and fruity, and the perfect alternative to Prosecco or Champagne, Van Hunks Cap Classique Sparkling Rose is produced at Villiera Wines in the Stellenbosch region of Western Cape, with a close eye on sustainable winemaking practices. Bottle fermented in small batches and matured in contact with the lees for approximately 30 months, Van Hunks Sparkling Rosé is a combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with the addition of South Africa’s Pinotage. 

Grape Varieties: 35 % Pinot Noir, 30 % Chardonnay 30 % Pinotage, 5 % Pinot Meunier

ABV: 12%

Tasting Notes: Joyful, rich pink colour, vivacious cascading bubbles and the full rich flavour of Pinot Noir combined with the elegance of Chardonnay and the uniqueness of Pinotage. Rich in flavour with a long finish.

Van Hunks Sparkling Rosé RRP: from £20 for 75cl. 

Available from: Amazon and Van Hunks

Also available in a wooden gift box from Not On The High Street at an RRP of £60 for 2 bottles 

Instagram: @vanhunksdrinks

Domaine du Météore Le Cratère Sparkling Rosé 

Delicious drunk on its own or with food, Domaine du Météore’s Le Cratère Sparkling Rosé is fruity on the palate with a beautiful finesse of bubbles, all leading to a smooth and fresh taste with excellent balance and an elegant saline finish. This organic ‘methode champenoise’ sparkling rosé wine is made in limited quantities (940 bottles) from Syrah grapes, all grown inside the 200-metre-wide meteorite crater, high up in the foothills of the Haut-Languedoc mountains,  from which Domaine du Météore takes its name.

The grapes take their minerality from nano-diamonds created by the impact of the meteor that fell to earth over 10,000 years ago. The Domaine, spans the schist soils of Faugères and Saint-Chinian, which are surrounded by garrigue, with the scent of wild thyme, fennel, and mint. 

Grape Varieties: Syrah

ABV: 13%

Tasting Notes: Le Cratère is pale salmon pink in colour with distinctive copper highlights. The nose is delicate with aromas of redcurrant and strawberry alongside a hint of citrus fruit and white pepper. On the palate, red fruits dominate with a beautiful finesse of the bubbles leading to a smooth and fresh taste with excellent balance and an elegant saline finish.

Le Cratère RRP: from £30 per bottle. £33 per bottle with wooden bird box. £180 for case of 6 | UK delivery: £5.00. Available from:  Domaine du Météore

Website: www.domainedumeteore.com | Instagram: @domainedumeteore

Porta 6 Rosé Vinho Verde

This vibrant, fresh and well-balanced wine with a very pleasant finish is the perfect wine to cool off with on a hot summer’s day or pair with grilled fish, seafood, pasta, white meat and salads. With its unique label featuring a painting showing a slice of Lisbon life, Porta 6 Rosé Vinho Verde is produced by Vidigal Wines in Portugal.

Grape Varieties: 60% Castelão, 20% Tinta Roriz and 20% Syrah

Tasting Notes: Pale salmon pink. Intensely fruity aromas of strawberries and other red fruits with citrus and floral notes. On the palate, there is a well-balanced acidity and a soft, pleasant finish.

ABV: 10.5%Stockists: Sainsbury’s | RRP: 75 cl from £7.50 – Currently on offer at £6.50