Rose Wine
 

Best Rosé Wine
– Drink Pink.

 

The Fifty Best Rosé Tasting of 2025

 

The Tasting:
The Fifty Best held a “blind” tasting of 13 recent release Rosé wines with eight members of our wine judging panel. The order of service was established beforehand by lottery. Strict tasting rules were applied. Each of the wines were poured into fresh glasses from new sealed bottles and served well chilled. Only ice water and crusty peasant bread were available to cleanse the palate.

The judges wrote down their impressions of each wine on score sheets. The scoring was based on a 5-point system, with 5 as the highest. Double Gold, Gold and Silver medals are awarded according to a set range of final point scores received from the judges. There were no Bronze medals awarded for this tasting. Medals are provided based entirely on merit and only to products judged worthy of such award.

The tasting notes that follow are summaries of the judges’ opinions, with all replicated commentary eliminated. The states and countries are identified for each brand. Clicking on the brands' names will link to their websites.



DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL AWARDS


Château La Mascaronne Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, France)

Aroma: Peach, nectarine, apricot, honeydew melon, strawberry, pomegranate, pink grapefruit, rose petals, woodsy, delicate.

Palate: Cherry, strawberry, melon, grapefruit, citrus, white flowers, mineral, stone, easy going.

Finish: Ripe honeydew, nectarine, pomegranate, celery, citrus, tart, crisp, balanced, complex, rich, savory, refreshing, porch sipper, great.


Double Gold Medal
Double Gold medal



Château La Mascaronne Rosé



Rosé All Day 2024
(IGP Pays Doc, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, fresh red plums, peach, nectarine, apricot, rhubarb, grapefruit, pink grapefruit, green apple, orange peel, honeysuckle, rosemary.

Palate: Raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate, watermelon, blood orange, Ruby Red grapefruit, lightly floral, rosemary, appealing mineral, soft, elegant.

Finish: Watermelon, white flowers, bright, lively, savory, soft, very pleasant, porch sipper, pretty, classic.


Double Gold Medal
Double Gold medal



Rosé All Day





Castello di Amorosa Rosato Pinot Noir 2024
(Russian River Valley, Sonoma County)

Aroma: Honeydew melon, green apple, grapefruit, rhubarb, raspberry, pomegranate, dark cherry, subtle fig, honeysuckle, rose petals, blossoms, cherry cake, baked goods, baking spices.

Palate: Cherry, raspberry, melon, grapefruit, lemon, hibiscus, mint, hearty bread loaf, thyme, white pepper, soft, fresh.

Finish: Rhubarb, tart cherry, crabapple, licorice, bright, pleasant.


Double Gold Medal
Double Gold medal



Castello di Amorosa Rosato Pinot Noir





Château d'Esclans Rosé 2023
(Domaines Sacha Lichine, Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, crabapple, rhubarb, lemon juice, citrus, white flowers, wet stone, sunshine in Provence.

Palate: Nectarine, sweet peach, strawberry, blackberry, red plum, rose petals, honeysuckle, soft mineral, nice tannins, tangy, rich.

Finish: Peach, crabapple, lemon-lime, citrus, mint, thyme, mineral, big, balanced, classic style, near perfect.


Double Gold Medal
Double Gold medal



Château d'Esclans Rosé



GOLD MEDAL AWARDS

Whispering Angel Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, pomegranate, crabapple, apricot, blood orange, melon, pink grapefruit, minerality, wet stone.

Palate: Strawberry, raspberry, black raspberry, tart cherry, rhubarb, yellow peach, blood orange, grapefruit, lemon, mint, white flowers.

Finish: Crabapple, yellow peach, citrus, mineral, wet stone, balanced, tangy, crisp, lively, enjoyable.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Whispering Angel Rosé





Notorious Pink Rosé 2024
(Béziers, FR)

Aroma: Apricot, melon, honey, honeysuckle, white flowers, white pepper, mineral.

Palate: Fresh strawberry, raspberry, berries, rhubarb, watermelon, honeydew melon, lemon, white grapefruit skin, hibiscus, floral, mint.

Finish: Black currant, white grapefruit pith, bell pepper, very palatable, bright, crisp, refreshing.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Notorious Pink Rosé





Domaine de l’Olivette Rosé 2024
(Bandol, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb, crabapple, green apple, sour apple, peach, rose petal, funky.

Palate: Strawberry, peach, green apple, orange peel, grapefruit, lime, fresh.

Finish: Raspberry, peach, blood orange Pellegrino soda, mushrooms, tannin, balanced, clean, complex, rich.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Domaine de l’Olivette Rosé





Château de Saint-Martin Eternelle Favorite
Cru Classé Rosé 2024

(Côtes de Provence, France)

Aroma:Ripe nectarine, Sugar Baby watermelon, melon, strawberry cream, marshmallow, honeysuckle, white flowers, floral, mineral, wet stones, piquant, pretty.

Palate: Blood orange, orange peel, pink grapefruit, lemon, sour apple, crisp apple, strawberry, Bubblicious bubble gum, honey, cotton candy, rose petals, earthy, mineral, complex, creamy.

Finish: Blood orange, grapefruit, strawberry, Honeycrisp apple, white flowers, herbal, wheat, nice balance, rich, super interesting.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Château de Saint-Martin Eternelle Favorite Cru Classé Rosé





Aimé Roquesante Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Honeydew melon, green apple, grapefruit, rhubarb, raspberry, pomegranate, dark cherry, subtle fig, honeysuckle, rose petals, blossoms, cherry cake, baked goods, baking spices.

Palate: Cherry, raspberry, melon, grapefruit, lemon, hibiscus, mint, hearty bread loaf, thyme, white pepper, soft, fresh.

Finish: Rhubarb, tart cherry, crabapple, licorice, bright, pleasant.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Aimé Roquesante Rosé





Lorenzi Estate M Rosé 2024
(Temecula Valley, CA)

Aroma: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, black cherry, black currant, pomegranate, red plum, rhubarb, lemon, baking spices, smoky, heady.

Palate: Cherry, black cherry, dark red plum, purple plum, rhubarb, blood orange, pink grapefruit, lemon, citrus, watermelon rind, mint, tannins.

Finish: Plum, red plum, black plum, black cherry, jammy, tannin, sangria-like, big, smooth.


Gold Medal
Gold medal



Lorenzi Estate M Rosé



SILVER MEDAL AWARDS

Peltzer Family Cellars Syrah Rosé 2023
(Temecula Valley, CA)

Aroma: Strawberry, ripe raspberry, dark cherry, black currant, juicy peach, nectarine, watermelon, hibiscus.

Palate: Strawberry, black cherry, tart cherry, citrus, nectarine skin, mint, granite, tannins, tangy.

Finish: Tart cherry, pineapple, citrus, mineral, wet stone, smooth, big, bold.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Peltzer Family Cellars Syrah Rosé



Folly by Mascaronne Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Cherry, strawberry, crabapple, yellow peach, lemon, citrus, rose petals, white pepper, mineral, wet stones, fresh.

Palate: Peach, nectarine, apricot, strawberry, rhubarb, grapefruit, pink grapefruit, lemon, earthy, wet stone, assertive.

Finish: Grapefruit, pink grapefruit, crabapple, rhubarb hint of cherry, mint, mineral, wet stone, layered, big, crisp, refreshing.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Folly by Mascaronne Rosé



Âme du Vin Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, France)

Aroma: Rhubarb, watermelon, crabapple, yellow peach cobbler, rose petals, grass, earthy, minerality.

Palate: Cherry, blood orange, yellow peach, melon, watermelon, lemon, lime, mint, saline, pleasant.

Finish: Cherry, orange, grapefruit, hibiscus, lilies, tart, clean, fresh.

Silver Medal
Silver medal



Âme du Vin Rosé

 


 

Rosé’s Popularity Presses On

There are two main techniques for making rosé wines. The first is the Maceration technique, where red-skinned grapes are essentially produced like white wine. The grapes are crushed and the juice and skins are macerated (that is, kept in contact with each other) for a period long enough to extract the desired amount of color. The juice is then separated from the skins, and fermented like white wine, usually in stainless steel tanks. The second is the Saignée technique, where a portion of the pink juice is run off from the just-crushed red grapes after a short partial fermentation maceration to extract color and aroma (usually 12 to 24 hours). The juice is then separated from the skins, & fermented in tanks.

Rosé wines pair easily with a variety of foods. Structurally, rosé’s bracing acidity, lack of oak aging, and moderate alcohol are all very food-friendly traits. Acidity mirrors the tangy and pungent ingredients of spring and summer, while also highlighting their fresh flavors. Moderate alcoholic strength means that it won’t exacerbate spice or salt, and won’t overpower food. Rosé offers the best-of-both-worlds — it has white wine structure and red wine flavors, so it can be as light or intense as necessary depending on the food it’s being paired with.

Sales of rosé in the U.S. have increased annually since 2014. No longer a fad, rosé wine can now be considered a long-term trend – as consumers are choosing to drink rosé all year round. Fashions come and fashions go, but good wines will endure, regardless of the color.

 

 

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