Tony Love was named the Wine Communicators of Australia 2018 Legend of the Vine (SA), was a member of the Halliday Wine Companion reviewing team for the 2022 edition, reviews for Winepilot and judges at regional and capital city shows. He is the South Australian Wine Ambassador for the Asian-Pacific Region.
Lobethal Road Rosé 2023
Adelaide Hills | 12.3% | $26
Sourced from the Charleston district out towards the north-eastern corner of the Hills region, Mt Torrens based vignerons David Neyle and Inga Lidums have chosen Pinot Noir as their preferred Rosé variety as it provides all the “elegance and finesse” they seek personally from the style.
It’s certainly quite delicate, pure pale pink with subtle wafts of crushed strawberry and apple orchards in flowering season.
These cross over into the palate feels with plenty of verve, natural acidity providing good drive and crunch to back up red berry flavour zings in the tasting.
There’s something about the purity and simplicity of this wine that is stand-alone attractive, yet it will also offer great partnership with lively and rich dishes.
La Linea Tempranillo Rosé 2024
Adelaide Hills | 12.5% | $25
La Linea is a partnership of leading Adelaide Hills winemaking minds – Peter Leske and David LeMire, now also with Alanna Pepper – who have pioneered since 2007 both Rosé as a “serious” dry style and the Tempranillo variety in the region. Theirs has always tended to a glossy pink with faint blueish tones, its aromas bursting with a purity and brightness to match.
This new vintage sits well with that background reference, floral with wild rose petal, a suggestion of just cut red apple as well as poached fruit spice. Exciting.
As is the palate: red berry leaning to a mouth-watering crispness and light powdering of fruit tannin that brings an energy to its dry finish. Lots of interest here with enough flavour and power to supplement characterful dining.
El Desperado Rosé 2023
Langhorne Creek | 12% | $24
Crafted from Langhorne Creek grown Tempranillo and Sangiovese by Tom Keelan under his wider umbrella The Pawn Wine Co brand.
Both varieties have good individual cred in the Rosé class and here Tom co-ferments them with a small amount going into barrel for just a month or so.
The colour is pale, pale onion skin, with aromas showing a little earthy and autumnal forest character, indicating a wine with a little more complexity than many simpler fruit-cup styles.
We see this also in the palate with a fine coat of grape tannin and a little chewiness in a pleasingly pithy way.
A Rosé style that will please those looking for some substance in such a wine.
Longview Vineyard Juno Rosato 2023
Adelaide Hills | 12.5% | $32
Longview’s estate passion for the northern Italian grape Nebbiolo comes in several shapes and sizes, starting with the lightest of all in this most engaging Rosato, where it shares the varietal stage with the more ubiquitous Pinot Nero (Noir).
They work great magic together – glossy pink in the glass, aromas of crushed red berries and delicate pink rose petal.
Much of this stretched into the palate as you taste, very neatly balanced, berry flavours on point with nicely weighted acidity and textural feels and finish.
Most accomplished.
(Check out also a slightly more muscular sibling, the Longview Fresco, a chillable light red blend of the same two varieties plus another northern Italian called Barbera.)
Watkins Grenache Rosé 2023
Langhorne Creek | 12.5% | $24
From the Watkins family vineyards in Langhorne Creek, focusing on the Grenache variety, which has serious cache in the Rosé business in both France, Spain and, of course, South Australia, especially neighbouring McLaren Vale.
Here we follow the path of classic mid-pink colour in the glass with gentle floral and crushed red to crimson berry and cherry aromas.
All this seems pretty well versed in the Rosé oeuvre, but the palate feel here is next level impressive, bright and fresh with all its fruit characters alive and well, a solid backbone in place, almost a chewy, mouth-filling and fully satisfying.
Will take on some fairly substantial table fare as well.
Hahndorf Hill Rosé 2024
Adelaide Hills | 12% | $26
The wide world of Rosé spreads its wings here, bringing into play a couple of grape varieties uniquely grown at the Hahndorf Hill estate.
The first is the little-known Germanic/northern Italian origin Trollinger and also the Austrian red Blaufrankisch, one of a crop of Austrian vines Hahndorf Hill has pioneered, especially the star white Gruner Veltliner.
This Rosé also includes more common Hills varieties Pinot Noir, Tempranillo and Shiraz, all the parts clearly sympathetic in its pale skin colour and aromas of pink lady apples. To drink it’s juicy, tangy and salivating with crunchy apple and white pithy strawberry fruit notes. Super dry and brilliant at the table, supporting rich and spicy dishes.
