Flint Vineyard Charmat Rosé 2017

On the nose, aromas of fruit puddings (strawberry mousse, Bakewell tart) and confectionery are immediately apparent, as are notes of praline. This suggests that the wine has enough distinctive flavour for it to stand alone as an aperitif.

That promise is fulfilled on the palate.  Straightforward at first, and clearly fruit-driven, there are hidden depths to this wine on further tasting.  Sweet red cherries and pink lemonade are the initial flavours, nothing complex or challenging about that.  But then a mid-taste starts to develop.  This is where the ‘forest fruits’ (in Ben’s description) come in.  These are darker and crunchier than the opening palate.  Then, finally, acidity and a certain minerality enter, creating an excellent balance.

Whether intentionally or not, Ben has exploited a gap in the market for an English Prosecco-style wine with this rosé.  We seem to have become obsessed with Prosecco in this country, from the acres of shelf space in the supermarkets given over to it, to the merchandise connected with it (‘Hand me the Prosecco’, ‘Prosecco-o-clock’ etc.). And some of the actual product is pretty bland, to say the least.  Ben Witchell has pulled off the trick of producing a fruit-driven wine, easy-to-drink, but with plenty of complexity.  Will it go some way to calling a halt to our Prosecco fixation? Well, of course, that may be too much to ask but he has perhaps started something that might, in time, lead to serious rivalry between the English sparkling winemakers and the ‘Proseccoians’.