When it’s New Zealand vs France in the rosé stakes, the result is a dead heat, says MARY-THÉRÈSE BLAIR.
A couple of years ago, Cuisine decided to open up the wine pages to all international wine varietals, whereas previously Champagne and shiraz were the only overseas wines to feature. While the wines of New Zealand are always front and centre in our hearts, feedback and buying trends reflected that wine consumers wanted recommendations for great Kiwi wines alongside choices that reflected their knowledge of the wider world of wine. This is never more true than in the category of rosé. Recent years have seen a literal thirst for international rosés, in particular those from France. That said, since we’ve opened up entries New Zealand rosés have been mostly topping the bill with the odd foreigner coming through. A quick look at our top eight and, mon Dieu! – it’s an even split between the Kiwis and French, something that surprised even our judges. In this case, we can say we’re content enough with a draw, after all it’s rosé, not rugby.
In the world of ‘serious’ wine professionals, there’s a collective rolling of eyes when a celebrity wine is released into the market. Correction, when yet another celebrity wine is released into the market. It is true that well-known individuals have infiltrated the wine and spirits industry in recent years and, in certain vinous circles, there’s the belief that celebs should stay in their lane hawking perfume and sex tapes and stay away from the hallowed and prestigious world of wine for fear of lowering the tone.
While I’m not here to tell you that all celebrity wines are good, I am here to state some facts. Even if it were possible for a wine to ‘fluke’ a top accolade in a blind tasting among a cohort of 100 other wines, it’s not possible for two different vintages of that wine to fluke that same result two years in a row with two different sets of judges – yet this wine has done just that. So, the fact is that, regardless of what anyone thinks, the combination of Invivo winemaker Rob Cameron’s talents and Sarah Jessica Parker’s palate is a winning one.
Pale copper pink in the glass with elegant aromas of orange skin, lifted tropical fruits and dried herbs, this rosé draws you in through the nose and, wow, does the palate deliver – complex and weighted with stonefruit, apricots and just a hint of paprika spice. The palate is long, luscious and beautifully formed with presence and incredible texture. Sublime.
A lovely pale pink wine abundant with lifted florals, fresh strawberries and …
2This wine has the palest onion-skin colour with a very light-copper tinge. …
3A burnished copper colour with a fragrant nose of dried fennel, sage …
4An understated wine with a savoury nose of fennel, dried herbs and …
5The colour is pale and delicate in the glass with tempting aromas …
6This is a wine with a beautiful and abundant nose filled with …
7A pale but cheerful pink colour with a subdued yet charming nose …
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