Billecart-Salmon Rosé Brut, Champagne, France NV (from £51, Nickolls and Perks; Corney & Barrow; Uncorked) The idea that we should drink pink champagne on Valentine’s Day is clearly a tradition invented in the marketing room. The thing is, though, at its best sparkling rosé (particularly, but not exclusively from Champagne) is one of the most ravishing drinks around: a combination of colour, texture and vivacity that is utterly sensual in its appeal. Two of the smaller members of Champagne’s informal club of established houses – or grandes marques –are consistently among the best producers of a style that involves blending a little red pinot noir wine to bring the colour and red-fruited richness. For those looking to splash out this Friday both Ruinart’s luscious Rosé Brut NV (£59.99, as part of a mix of six, Majestic) and the filigree elegance of Billecart-Salmon are in seductively gorgeous form.
Raventós i Blanc de Nit, Conca del Ríu Anoia, Spain 2017 (from £12.99, Winebuyers; Whisky Exchange; Berry Bros & Rudd) In the past decade or so, producers from all over the world have been making excellent rosé fizz to challenge the best made in Champagne. Few English rosés are more accomplished than Nyetimber Rosé NV (£33.95, Hennings). From one of the leading lights of English sparkling wine in West Sussex, it has a lovely delicate interplay of the floral and the spicy with just-picked, just-ripe, just-the-right-side-of-tart cherry and berry. Some very attractive pink fizz is also being made in Catalonia’s Penedès region, home of Spain’s best sparkling wine producers, such as Raventós i Blanc, who make their multilayered, toasty, mineral de Nit (‘of the night’) pink fizz from a blend of the white cava trio xarel-lo, parellada and macabeo plus the red monastrell.
Mirabeau La Folie Rosé, Provence, France NV (£10.99, Waitrose) With still rosé and white sparkling being two of the most popular wine styles of the 21st century, it’s no wonder sparkling wine regions have increasingly turned to rosé – and traditional rosé producers have turned to bubbles. One example of the latter is the British-owned Provence rosé producers Mirabeau, whose delicately fragrant, light and crisp La Folie is made in the same way as prosecco (with the second, fizz-giving fermentation taking place in a tank rather than the bottle, à la Champagne) and has a similar light and easy appeal. Similarly Bird in Hand, who make excellent still pinot noir, shiraz and chardonnay in Australia’s Adelaide Hills, have a very spry and fresh pink fizz in the shape of Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2019, which Waitrose has in both 75cl (£15.99) and 20cl bottles (£4.49).
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