Rosé comes of age

The event was held at Taisteal

When acknowledged ‘Queen of Rosé’ Elizabeth Gabay MW, author of the definitive bible on pink wine, comes to town, with son and co-author on the follow-up Ben Bernheim, you know the message just got serious.

No ho-hum picnic-plonk in sight at Taisteal, but benchmark wines and personal attendance by several of the classic wineries shown, to prove that well-made rosés can age well - and even, quelle surprise, in some instances not just survive but be enhanced with judicious use of oak.

A pre-lunch tasting is a treat thanks to thoughtful groupings in five styles, rather than simply by country or winery.  Naturally, Provence shows prominently, though others range from one-of-a-kind Les Riceys, straddling the border of Champagne and Bourgogne, via a tour of Europe and on to the venerable Ch. Musar of Lebanon, many varietal tweaks en route. 

Classic ‘Summer rosés’ strutting their stuff in designer bottles progress via ‘Premium’ where balance, expression & concentration start to make a real impact, to ‘Reserva’ rosés, with some very special artisan fine wines.  We’re spoiled with a few aged samples such as a 2019 single-vineyard Bandol, Sainte Catherine from Domaine de la Suffrène, where a 90/10 blend of high-tannin/acid Mourvèdre and Carignan has settled down to delight the palate; and Hacienda Lopez de Haro’s 2013 Classica Gran Reserva of Garnacha and Viura.  Sparkling rosé features, from Champagne to Charmat styles, since these rosés appeal for many similar reasons to still.

With an eye to future market developments as well as climate change, ‘Light Reds’ take their place since ‘chilled red’ sales appear to be on the rise.  All this inevitably leads to much engaging chat over a 7-course lunch, which might appear, at first glance, too bursting full of flavour bombs (Octopus Hotdog, Sriracha Mayo’ to kick off - Taisteal are known for their Asian, particularly Japanese twists) - for the perceived ‘delicacy’ of pink. 

Yet we all concur that the rosés, most preceded by thought-provoking talks by the likes of Ronan Lieugard of the famed Ch. d’Esclans and Matthieu Meyer of Ch. Galoupet, the one with the charming amber bottle (thoughtfully light in weight, but heavyweight in terms of flavour as well as practicality), hold their own to successfully enhance the most complex creations.

This category deserves more than one or two examples on menus.

Taisteal, 1 Forth St, Edinburgh EH1 3JX. 0131 557 2209. taisteal.co.uk

Open Tues-Thursday 5-9.30, Fri & Sat 5-10