Nothing says summer quite like a rosé. Michael Cooper picks the best of the bunch.
How popular can rosé get? Twenty years ago, rosé was generally seen as a sweet tipple (“lolly water”) for people who didn’t really like wine. Today, a glass of gently chilled, dry or dryish rosé is a symbol of summer, sunshine and dining alfresco.
Export statistics reveal the steep production growth. In 2013, New Zealand shipped 490,000 litres of rosé. In 2022, that had risen to 5.83 million litres.
Merlot-based rosés are common from Hawke’s Bay north (with cabernet franc looking exciting, too), whereas pinot noir-based rosés are the norm from Wairarapa south. These rosés are all from the latest vintage, because freshness is the essence of the wines’ appeal.
Alexander Raumati Martinborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
This is a “serious” weighty, fully dry style. Estate-grown, it is light pink, with substantial body, gentle tannins and strong peach, strawberry and spice flavours. (13% alc/vol) $25
Allan Scott Marlborough Rosé 2022
Pale pink, this easy-drinking wine is from unspecified varieties. Lively, it is medium-bodied and buoyantly fruity, with peach, strawberry and spice flavours, a distinct splash of sweetness and a fresh, crisp finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $17
Askerne Sérieux Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022
Sérieux is French for “serious”. A bright-pink blend of mourvèdre, malbec and merlot, it is mouthfilling and vigorous, with good depth of vibrant, delicate watermelon and spice flavours, hints of peach and strawberry and a crisp, dry finish. Delicious young. (13.5% alc/vol) $25
Awatere River Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
Attractively scented, this is a vivacious wine. Bright, light pink, it has strong peach, strawberry and watermelon flavours, hints of spices, fresh acidity and a basically dry, lingering finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $23
Bald Hills Friends and Lovers Single Vineyard Bannockburn Central Otago Rosé 2022
Made from hand-picked pinot noir, this light-pink rosé is mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity. It has strong strawberry and spice flavours, hints of peach and apricot and a fresh, basically dry, persistent finish. (14% alc/vol) $30
Black Cottage Marlborough Rosé 2022
Pale pink, this medium-bodied wine was blended from multiple varieties grown in the Wairau Valley. It has gentle peach, strawberry and spice flavours that are fresh and lively and a crisp, basically dry finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $18
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Rosé 2022
This “dangerously easy-drinking” (according to the back label), bright-pink rosé was made from pinot noir, estate-grown and hand-picked at Tasman. It is fresh and vibrant, with strong, yet delicate, cherry and red-berry flavours, lively acidity and a basically dry, smooth finish. (13% alc/vol) $25
Brightwater Vineyards Sophie’s Kiss Nelson Rosé 2022
Bright pink, this blend of pinot noir (60%), merlot (35%) and riesling (5%) is instantly likeable. Mouthfilling, it has generous peach, watermelon and spice flavours, a sliver of sweetness and fresh, balanced acidity. (13% alc/vol) $22
Coal Pit Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
An emerging star. Hand-harvested at Gibbston, it is bright, light pink, with peach, strawberry and spice flavours. Vibrantly fruity, it has excellent intensity, freshness, delicacy and vigour and a long, dry finish. Best drinking 2023-plus. (13.5% alc/vol) $38
Delta Estate Marlborough Rosé 2022
Instantly engaging, this pale-pink wine is from pinot noir grapes grown in the Southern Valleys. Refined, it is vibrantly fruity and vigorous, with gentle strawberry and spice flavours, hints of peaches and watermelon, fresh acidity and a dry finish. Good value. (12.5% alc/vol) $20
Domain Road Vineyard Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
This classy, vigorous wine was grown at two sites in Bannockburn. Bright pink, it is instantly appealing, with fresh, generous peach, strawberry and watermelon flavours, a hint of apricot and a basically dry, lasting finish. (14% alc/vol) $28
Graham Norton’s Own New Zealand Rosé 2022
Highly enjoyable in its youth, this wine is not labelled by region or variety. Bright pink, it has fresh, strong peach, strawberry and spice flavours, a basically dry feel, and good depth and harmony. (12.5% alc/vol) $21
Hãhã Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022
Offering good value, this light-pink rosé was blended mostly from merlot and malbec, grown in the Bridge Pā Triangle and the Havelock Hills. Fresh and lively, it is medium-bodied, with good depth of peach, spice and watermelon flavours, gentle acidity and a basically dry, smooth finish. (12% alc/vol) $18
Invivo Taylor’s New Zealand Rosé 2022
Bright pink, this vivacious blend of merlot (40%), pinot noir (40%), sauvignon blanc (10%) and pinot gris (10%) was grown in Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. Fresh and vigorous, it has attractive strawberry and spice flavours and a dryish, appetisingly crisp finish. Priced right. (12.5% alc/vol) $17
Lumé Pinot Rosé 2022
This enticingly packaged rosé was made from pinot noir and pinot gris grown in Marlborough and Nelson. Pale pink, it is medium-bodied, with fresh, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, gentle acidity and a smooth, dry finish. Attractive, easy drinking from the Ra Nui winery. (12% alc/vol) $20
Main Divide North Canterbury Rosé 2022
This Waipara rosé is from a “unique assemblage of varieties” – past releases have included pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Pale pink, it is fresh and crisp, with vigorous peach, spice and watermelon flavours and a fully dry, lengthy finish. (From Pegasus Bay.) (13% alc/vol) $21
Māori Point Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
Full of drink-young charm, this vivacious wine was estate-grown and hand-picked at Tarras, in the Cromwell Basin. Bright pink, it is invitingly scented, fresh and lively, with a sliver of sweetness and strong peach, strawberry and spice flavours. (12.9% alc/vol) $27
Misha’s Vineyard The Soloist Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2022
This delicious, youthful wine is from pinot noir, estate-grown at Bendigo and fermented partly (15%) in seasoned oak barrels. Bright pink, it is fragrant and mouthfilling, with generous, vibrant watermelon, strawberry and spice flavours and a finely poised, dry, lingering finish. (13.5% alc/vol) $30
Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022
Priced sharply, this bright-pink wine is from merlot grapes, grown in the Gimblett Gravels and the Bridge Pā Triangle. Fresh and lively, it has good vigour and depth of strawberry, watermelon and spice flavours and is fully dry and lengthy. (12.5% alc/vol) $17
Neudorf Tiritiri Nelson Rosé 2022
From pinot noir, this is part of Neudorf’s Grower Series, but also includes grapes from the Home Block. It was mostly handled in stainless-steel tanks, with 5% of the blend fermented in old oak barrels. Pale pink/orange, it has strong peach, strawberry, watermelon and spice flavours, a hint of apricot, good delicacy and vibrancy and a smooth, dry, lengthy finish. (13% alc/vol) $27
Nga Waka Martinborough Rosé 2022
This pale-pink rosé was made from pinot noir. Mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, it has strong, ripe peach, strawberry and spice flavours, fresh, smooth and fully dry, with lots of youthful impact. (13% alc/vol) $20-$25
Novum Organic Rosé 2022
Full of personality, this Marlborough wine has a pale pink/slight orange hue. Fresh and vibrant, it has strong peach, spice, strawberry and watermelon flavours, a distinct touch of complexity and a vigorous, dry finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $25
Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Pinot Rosé 2022
Delicious young, this pinot noir-based rosé was estate-grown at Gladstone. Bright, light pink, it is full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, with strawberry, peach, spice and watermelon flavours, showing excellent vigour and depth, and a dry, long finish. Full of personality. (13.5% alc/vol) $27
Selaks The Taste Collection Berries & Cream Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022
This crowd-pleaser is priced sharply. Pale pink, it is finely balanced, fresh and full-bodied, with peach, watermelon and spice flavours, a sliver of sweetness and lots of drink-young charm. (13% alc/vol) $18
Seresin Zosia Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
Certified organic, this distinctive, pale-pink wine was estate-grown and handled for four months in old oak barriques. Fresh, mouthfilling and dry, it is refined and subtle, with strawberry, peach, orange and spice flavours that are showing excellent vigour, delicacy, poise and length. (13% alc/vol) $27
Terra Sancta Bannockburn Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
Estate-grown, this youthful Central Otago wine is mostly (85%) from hand-picked vines planted in Sarah’s Block in 1995. Over a third of the blend was fermented in old French oak casks. Pale pink, it is fresh and vibrantly fruity, with strong peach and strawberry flavours showing a distinct touch of complexity, lively acidity and a slightly off-dry, very harmonious finish. Best drinking mid-2023-plus. (13% alc/vol) $29
The Boneline Pink Noise Rosé 2022
Invitingly scented, this vigorous wine was estate-grown at Waipara and partly (8%) fermented in old French oak barrels. A blend of hand-picked cabernet franc (39%), pinot noir (38%), cabernet sauvignon (15%) and merlot (8%), it is a lovely young wine with a real sense of immediacy and depth. Full of youthful drive, with strong strawberry and watermelon flavours, it’s well worth discovering. (12.5% alc/vol) $38
The Elder Martinborough Rosé 2022
Estate-grown at Te Muna, this impressive, pale-pink wine is from pinot noir, tank-fermented and matured for three months in old oak casks. Full-bodied, it is savoury, with strong strawberryish, spicy flavours showing excellent freshness, complexity and depth and with a dry finish. (13.5% alc/vol) $35
The Hunting Lodge Expressions Hawke’s Bay Delicate Rosé 2022
Very lively, this is a blend of syrah (chosen for “aromatic expression”), merlot (“mouthfeel”) and cabernet sauvignon (“depth of flavour”). Bright, light pink, it has strawberryish, spicy, peachy flavours with a finely balanced, basically dry, lingering finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $22
The Mediator by Urlar Gladstone Rosé 2022
Made from pinot noir, this rosé was partly barrel-fermented. Light pink, with a hint of orange, it is a fresh, vigorous, medium-bodied wine with vibrant peach, strawberry, watermelon and spice flavours and a fully dry, crisp finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $23
Two Rivers Isle of Beauty Rosé 2022
Grown in the Southern Valleys, this Marlborough blend of multiple red and white varieties was tank-fermented and briefly aged on its yeast lees. Bright, light pink, it is a lively, medium-bodied wine, with strong, vibrant watermelon, strawberry and spice flavours that are crisp and dry. (12.5% alc/vol) $22
Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
This delicious, single-vineyard wine was hand-harvested at Pisa, in the Cromwell Basin. Bright pink, with attractively scented, berryish aromas, it is fresh and vibrant, with ripe cherry and plum flavours and a finely poised, slightly off-dry, smooth finish. (13% alc/vol) $29
Wildsong Te Awanga Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2022
Fresh and lively, this bright-pink rosé is from merlot that was estate-grown at Te Awanga. Aromatic and buoyantly fruity, it has strong, vibrant peach, watermelon and spice flavours, and a basically dry finish. (From Te Awanga Estate.) (12.5% alc/vol) $22