Yes I was drinking Rosé when it was unfashionable, back in the 1970s. This is the contrarian in me that pops out. Thus, when I pass the tasting bench and find a sample of Rosé I pour a glass, sit back and dream. One day soon the glory on warm climate Rosé will be recognised.
Not those cool climate versions made from whites that are then given a hint of pink from a bucket of Shiraz. No as I’m talking about grapes in the Barossa Valley, picked a bit earlier than for a red, for the single purpose of making a Rosé.
The two suitable varieties are Grenache and Mataro. Those made from Shiraz take on a colour I call ‘cringe pink’ like some sort of weird fluoro outfit you find on the dance floor in a dive bar. No, it must be made from these two old heritage varieties. They have both been treated so shabbily since the collapse of the fortified market yet how to explain they now have a better future as treasured varieties than appearing in a flagon as Ruby Red Port.
We did not make this wine though we have been buying any surplus from the grower-maker for several years. I may wish for a bit of Mataro skin twist on the back palate yet recognise this will decrease sales, so I say nothing.
