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Hot Bottle17 August 2020
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Hail Hot Bottlers!
I hope you're all thriving! I just wanted to sneak back into your inbox to let you know that my weekly column has moved to You Magazine in the Mail on Sunday as of yesterday and I'm delighted to have kicked off with the best of summer rosé! Here is an exclusive dip into the full column with recommendations below.
From pale Provençal to beefy Chilean, rosé is one of the fastest growing categories in the wine world. Whether you’re sipping silky aperitifs or pouring for bold barbecues, this summer’s best bottles offer surprising tips enticing you to peer beyond the rim of your regular rosé tinted spectacles.
The popularity of Provence in the south of France has seen celebrities from Sarah Jessica-Parker to Brangelina launch their own wines and it’s a style that I’ll admit is hard to resist, especially when the temperature starts to soar. Balanced between refreshment, fruit and moreish magic, these wines are superb with dishes from seaside treats to garlic chicken and summery salads. Provence is a rare region that specializes in pale pink charms blended from a variety of different grape varieties that somehow always taste of liquid holidays. But the Languedoc is catching up and offering stellar bargains without skimping on quality such as La Terrasse, my wine of the week. If Provence is going premium, its allure needs to be as A-list as the prices. I've just tasted Kylie Minogue's brand new single estate Côtes de Provence, The Signature Collection which, at £18 from kylieminoguewines.com is a fruity ray of Provençal light in your glass. You can read my full review here.
With rosé, deeper colour can be an indication of more powerful flavours from grapes with heftier thicker skins such as Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. These can work a charm with richer recipes of smoke and spice, as long as the vino retains the right balance of fruit – my Leftfield pick from New Zealand this week is a robust riot of refreshment. Some rosé can defy expectation with deep colour as well as deft vitality such as Joseph Mellot Sancerre Rosé 2018 (13.5%) which is £21 from northandsouthwines.co.uk and on balance worth splashing the cash if you’re after a treat thanks to its classy poise, fine structure and food-friendly zing – spot on to pair with a platter of cured meats. But for rosé with muscle that won’t smash the piggy bank, my pick is Paso Primero 2019 (14.5%) from Spain’s Somontano which is £8.90 from tanners-wines.co.uk and erupts with all the flavours you’ll ever need for a feast. When rosé tastes this good, the scent of summer need never end – at least in your glass.
Torres Viña Esmeralda Rosé 2019 (12.5%), £7.99, robertsandspeight.co.uk Delicately perfumed; pair with dishes brimming with garlic and spice. Paella, anyone?
Left Field Hawkes Bay Rosé (13%), £11.99, Waitrose. Exotic, rich and packed with fruit, this vibrant number is my top choice for a barbecue.
Le Metéore 2019 Organic Rosé (13.5%), £15.50 domainedumeteore.com. This bright French rosé is vital with shellfish or chargrilled prawns.
Côtes de Provence Miraval Rosé 2019 (13%), £19.95, bbr.com. Elegant, layered and textural. A showstopper with salade niçoise.
Wine of the Week: La Terrasse Rosé Pays D'Oc 2018 (13%), £10, Sainsbury’s. If poolside sunbathing could be bottled, this would be it. Peachy poise.
Look out for my column in You every Sunday.
SATURDAY KITCHEN
I'm back on your screens on Saturday Kitchen, BBC1 this Saturday 22nd August from 10am and back to normal Hot Bottle service in September.
Until then, get your nose into a glass of rosé and I'll do the same!
Olly x
