Delamere Rose 2008 (Pipers Brook, Tas)
$22, Screwcap. 12.1%

Rose – derided by winemakers, pissed on by wine judges, revered by the public. I count myself as quite a fan of ‘blush’ but only when its nice & dry. Too often Rose is sweet and poorly made, an afterthought at best (and often accused as being the byproduct of the odd stuck ferment).
Charlie Melton’s Rose of Virginia does it for me every time, with bottles curiously draining during humid Sydney summers, but its probably only one of a handful of gooduns.

This style of Rose though shares much more DNA with its more prestigious Sparkling Rose brethren. A very light orange/pink colour, the nose smells like Rose Champagne, with just a hint of strawberries nestled amongst what could almost be virginal yeast development. You can almost smell the acid. This follows nicely into the very fresh and acid driven palate, again the odd nuance of musk stick and strawberry in amongst all that acidity, with just a tinge of greenness on the back palate.

So this wine then is more flat Rose Champagne than anything else, feeling slightly underdone & lacking the softness of bubbles. Its still deceptively drinkable and refreshing, but could do with just a thimble full of generosity. 17.3