Can Rosé Be Considered a Fine Wine? | Pink.Wine Debate Recap

This was the topic in question for the panel debate on 6th October, hosted by Pink.Wine and the Libération Tardive Foundation, and led by Richard Bampfield MW, Elizabeth Gabay MW, Pauline Vicard and Siobhan Turner MW, chaired by Rebecca Palmer.

Spoiler alert: it can… and it is.

So what exactly makes a wine 'fine'?

The panel discussed the key pillars that are considered before declaring a wine ‘fine’. Pauline, co-founder of ARENI Global, a research and action institute dedicated to the future of fine wine, condensed these into five main points:

1. It has to stop time

A fine wine should stop you in your tracks. Not something to be guzzled, it should be savoured, discovered and imprinted on your memory. No-one forgets their first taste of the finest wine they've ever had, do they?

2. It has to have a vision

Fine wines aren’t made by accident. You don’t accidentally leave a bottle in the back of your cupboard, later to be discovered and declared incredible. Every step, from vineyard to bottling, must be intentional. Indeed, a rosé can be considered a fine wine only if it is first intended to be a fine wine.

3. It has to strive towards sustainability

Sustainability is a journey and it’s certainly not a one-size fits all term but efforts towards reducing environmental impact or helping social causes have been shown to be important to consumers and can no longer be ignored by producers. A fine wine must reflect conscious choices about its impact.

4. It has to have a reputation

Is a fine wine 'fine' if nobody has ever heard of it? It’s a controversial question but the general consensus is that wine can be considered fine only if it has some fame of brand associated with it, whether that be a famous region, producer or winemaker, that contributes to its perceived value.

5. It has to have value on the secondary market

Simply put, a fine wine needs to be seen as a valuable commodity worth trading. Its value lives beyond the first purchase.

What constitutes quality in a rosé?

For the WSET educated, our ‘BLIC’ system (measuring a wine on Balance, Length, Intensity and Complexity) can be called upon as the most reliable standard we have for assessing red and oaked white wines. But how useful is it for rosé? If a wine doesn’t see any secondary characteristics from oak or other winemaking practices, as many rosés don’t, is it automatically 'less complex' and does this mean it destined never to see the ‘outstanding’ label?

If an oustanding rosé does exist (and this masterclass showed us that many do, particularly those that are oaked) it would then move into the ‘fine’ category if it has capacity to age.

Ben Bernheim raised an intriguing question - is Madeira technically an aged (or indeed fine) rosé? After all, it’s often made with Tinta Negra with minimal extraction and then aged for many years. 

The challenges of ageing rosé

Aging requires a lot of resources, tying up cashflow and space in the winery, meaning producers must see clear demand before committing to it. The panel reminded us that ‘wine tastes better with margins’, suggesting that an en primeur system would be a good way to alleviate financial pressures for producers wanting to create a fine rosé. Interestingly, with the exception of a few, it’s smaller, more boutique producers that are creating fine rosés because they’re focusing on it completely, whereas bigger producers are typically concentrating resources on their reds and whites, with rosé taking a back seat in their portfolio. This brings us back to the issue of whether a wine can be 'fine' if the producer lacks reputation.

The role of the grape variety

The grape is critical in determining how a rosé develops tertiary notes through age and oxidation. Elizabeth Gabay MW shared some fascinating insights: Grenache goes to a peachy apricot, the Cabernets go to a floral violet and apricot, Negroamaro can take on an mature red fruit character whereas Mourvèdre is more pleasant, with its high tannins being beneficial for ageing. 

The wines we tried were:

1. Château d'Esclans ‘Garrus’ 2022, Côtes de Provence - my first time trying Garrus and it was unbelievable! With Château d'Esclans often referenced as a pioneer in fine rosés throughout the debate, the Garrus showed incredible complexity yet still had lovely freshness to it. Made from a single vineyard of 100 year old vines, entirely fermented and matured in large, new French oak, you can taste the expertise that’s gone into this.

2. Château Pesquié ‘Quintessence’ 2020, Ventoux - maceration and saignée method is used for the Cinsault (20%). Direct pressing for the Mourvèdre (70%) and the Clairette (10%). Elegant and highly gastronomic, with red berries and a touch of white pepper.

3. Chateau Musar 2018, Lebanon - Obaideh forms the majority of the blend, accompanied by Sémillon and Cinsault and notes revolve around spicy orange going on to dried fruits. This was my first time trying Lebanese wine and what a debut!

4. Alexandre Bonnet ‘La Forêt’ Rosé des Riceys 2012, Riceys - high acid Pinot Noir with ripe, strawberry jam, raisins and quince flavours and a touch of something herbal.

5. Château de Pibarnon ‘Nuances’ 2016, Bandol - 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault full of spice and red fruits. The tannins on the Mourvèdre help it age and give it plenty of structure and vibrancy, even 9 years on.

6. Chêne Bleu ‘Le Rosé’ 2010, Provence - bright acidity, plenty of body, fresh and long length with strawberry jam flavours and a savoury quality to it.

7. López de Haro ‘Classica’ Gran Reserva Rosado 2009, Rioja - a glimpse into the traditional Rioja production method, with super smoky and spicy red cherry fruit.

This was an eye-opening debate which really made me reconsider how we assess quality in wines and whether we need to expand our current framework to better recognise rosés that show intention, complexity and longevity.

The UK market is slowly waking up to the fact that there is more to rosé than early-drinking Provence but there is obviously still progress to be made. If attending events like this helps move that conversation forward, then count me in! These were some of the best rosés (or should I say 'wines'?) I’ve ever tasted, so a huge thank you to Elizabeth Gabay, Ben Bernheim, the whole team at pink.wine and the Libération Tardive Foundation for having me and showcasing such inspiring wines.