The Botham & Balfour English Rosé (£12)
Having already launched a successful three-tier wine range around the world, last year former cricketer Sir Ian Botham joined forces with Richard Balfour-Lynn of rosé-focused estate Hush Heath in Kent to release a still and a sparkling English rosé, debuting with wines from the stellar 2018 vintage.
Made in the Provence style from a blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, along with hybrid red grape Regner, the apricot-hued bone-dry still rosé is fresh and clean, offering notes of citrus fruits, red berries, orchard flowers and lime. On sale at Tesco, it sold like hot cakes over the sunny VE Day Bank Holiday weekend.
While Botham had planned to bring an English sparkling wine to market, he was so impressed by Hush Heath’s still rosé that he and Richard agreed a two-line launch offer. “I knew about the sparkling rosé, but when I came here, Richard served us a still rosé, and it was so good I thought it has to be a wine from Provence,” Botham said.
“I am putting my name to this rosé because the quality is there, and I have been promised that it will be maintained,” he added.
