It has been a challenging and disappointing year for most in many respects, but one thing that certainly hasn’t let us down is the wine. It’s traditional for us to do a festive rundown of the ’12 Wines of Christmas’, but with so many superb wines tasted throughout the year, it was next to impossible to narrow the selection down to just 12 wines.
So this year the team has worked together to select the Great British Wine ‘Class of 2020’. It’s a chance for all of us to look back and reflect upon the best wines of the year, covering still and sparkling wines from across England and Wales.
We’ll be revealing a new category each day for the first ten days of December – so do keep checking back to see if your favourite makes it to our list. If not, feel free to comment below with your favourites.
Menu – GBW Class of 2020
Day 5 | Sparkling Rosé
Not just for the summer, English Sparkling Rosé proves to be an all-year choice for us.
Oastbrook Sparkling Rosé 2015
Selected by John:
“A grown-up and muscular rosé from one of England’s brightest new sparks. This is an all-year-round rosé, bright and vivacious for summer sipping, yet expansive and spicy to entertain in the colder months.”
Exton Park Rosé NV
Selected by Sam:
“A vibrant, spirited sparkling rosé from the chalk slopes of the Hampshire South Downs. Exton Park produces sparkling wine that is crisp, elegant and focussed. This fizzy pink is all of those things but also manages to provide generous, perfumed flavours. My pink of the year by a long shot!”
Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé 2016/18
Selected by Stephen:
“Made from Pinot Noir grown exclusively on their Cornwall site, this rosé always comes up trumps, and the 2016 was arguably their best. The palate is a citric and creamy delight, with a yeasty mid-taste and a long strawberry finish. Currently sold out, but this wine is consistently good every year. Now they’re onto the 2018 vintage.”
Coolhurst Lady Elizabeth Rosé
Selected by Hannah:
“I don’t know who Lady Elizabeth is, but I’d like the chance to be in her shoes for a night. The aromas are full of baked custard and raspberry. On the palate, dancing strawberry pearls lead the pathway to a glittering grapefruit finish, Lady Elizabeth is certainly a woman of good taste and sophistication. I imagine we would get on well!”