7. Château la Sauvageonne La Villa 2017
The style: Dry, barrel-aged rosé
The medal: Master
The score: 97
The price: Approx £30-50
The sugar content: 1 g/l
The ABV: 14%
The closure: Cork
The producer: Gérard Bertrand
The source: Languedoc, France
The grape varieties: Grenache, Meurvedre, Viognier
The taste: For those looking for a more structured, serious and versatile rosé then this is the ideal wine. With a proportion transferred to oak barriques for six months, this rosé has a complexing layer of nuttiness from the wood (and lees) contact, as well as a mouth-filling creamy texture, along with masses of ripe red berry fruit and a tangy citrus finish. Although it is quite a powerful wine, it delivers wonderful rosé refreshment, and proves that oak barrels can be successfully used in pink winemaking. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also delicious.
