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The Global Rosé Masters 2020: results and highlights

We bring you all the medal winners and our top picks from this year’s Global Rosé Masters, which is the biggest single blind tasting of pink wines in the UK so far this year.

All the following recommendations hail from 2020’s Global Rosé Masters, a competition that sees all sources of pink wine judged side by side with only the most basic knowledge of style and cost.
While Champagne excelled in the pink sparkling category, and Provence was the dominant force in the still dry rosé and oaked rosé categories, there were plenty of other sources that featured.
Indeed, among the sparklings, it was a Crémant de Bourgogne that wowed for its quality and relative value, while among the still wines, we had an ultimate barrel-fermented rosé that was not from Provence.
Furthermore, among the Golds were stunning salmon-coloured drops from a broad array of locations, from Greece, to Priorat, and within Italy, both Sicily and the Tuscan coast.
As for the base standard of wines this year, it was undoubtedly better than ever before – and we’ve been running The Global Rosé Masters for almost a decade.
So, look below for a listing of all the medallists from this year’s competition, and read on to see our highlights, and to find out more about the tasting.

Dry sparkling rosé (12 g/l or lower)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under  £10 
Bortoluzzi Rosa di Gemina Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Silver
Valdo Spumanti Valdo Marca Oro Rosé Brut Veneto and Sicily Italy NV Silver
Vigna Dogarina Spumante Rosé Brut Veneto Italy NV Bronze
Bosco del Merlo Spumante Rosé Brut Veneto Italy NV Bronze
 £10-£15
Matahiwi Estate Matahiwi Estate Brut Rosé Wairarapa New Zealand NV Silver
Valdo Spumanti Valdo Floral Rosé Brut Veneto and Sicily Italy NV Silver
Colesel Spumanti Pavana Rosé Spumante Veneto Italy 2018 Bronze
 £15-£20
Maison Louis Bouillot Perle d’Aurore Bourgogne France NV Silver
Fantinel Fantinel “One & Only” Rosé Brut Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Silver
 £20-£30
Maison Louis Bouillot Perle d’Or Rosé Bourgogne France 2015 Gold
Tenuta Montemagno TM Brut 24 Mesi – Metodo Classico Piedmont Italy NV Bronze
 £30-£50
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvée Spéciale Rosé Champagne France NV Gold
Gusbourne Estate Rosé Kent UK 2016 Gold
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Rosé Champagne France NV Silver
 £50+
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Rosé Intense Champagne France 2008 Master

Sweet sparkling rosé (+12 g/l)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under  £10 
Bosco Viticoltor Rosato Spumante Bosco dei Cirmioli Veneto Italy NV Bronze
£15-£20
Andreola Bollé Vino Spumante Rosé Extra Dry Veneto Italy NV Silver
Tenuta Montemagno TM Roses – Malvasia di Casorzo DOC Spumante Piedmont Italy NV Silver
Banfi Rosa Regale Piedmont Italy 2019 Silver

Still unoaked dry rosé (4 g/l or lower)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under  £10 
Mirabeau en Provence Belle Année Provence France 2019 Gold
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Le Versant Grenache Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Silver
Biecher Le Chef Rosé Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Silver
Bodegas Luzón Luzón Rosado Colección Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Cielo e Terra Bericanto Rosato Vicenza DOC Veneto Italy 2019 Silver
Casa Girelli Canaletto Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC Veneto Italy 2019 Silver
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Piquepoul Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Bronze
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Ensedune Cabernet Franc Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Bronze
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Griset Sauvignon gris Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Bronze
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Les Amours d’Haut Gléon Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Bronze
Dievole Le Due Arbie Rosato Tuscany Italy 2019 Bronze
Bodegas Alceño Alceño Rosado Jumilla Spain 2019 Bronze
£10-£15
Gérard Bertrand Hampton Water Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Gold
Chivite Las Fincas Rosado Navarra Spain 2018 Gold
Mirabeau en Provence Mirabeau Classic Provence France 2019 Gold
Lawson’s Dry Hills Pink Pinot Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Gold
Maison Gutowski M–G Grande Cuvée Provence France 2019 Gold
Born Rosé Barcelona Born Rosé Penedès Spain 2019 Gold
Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Languedoc Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Gold
Holden Manz Hiro Franschhoek Valley South Africa 2019 Silver
Barton & Guestier Rosé d’Anjou Loire Valley France 2019 Silver
Bodegas Izadi Izadi Larrosa Rioja Spain 2019 Silver
Vignerons de Tutiac Lion & The Lily Bordeaux France 2019 Silver
Marisco Vineyards The Ned Rosé Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Silver
Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Silver
Marisco Vineyards Leefield Station Pinot Rosé Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Silver
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Paradis Secret Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Silver
Mission Hill Estate Winery Reserve Rosé Okanagan Valley Canada 2019 Silver
Frescobaldi Alìe Tuscany Italy 2019 Silver
Rioja Vega Rosado Colección Tempranillo Rioja Spain 2019 Silver
Mirabeau en Provence Mirabeau Pure Provence France 2019 Silver
Viña Leyda Leyda Rosé Leyda Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Bodegas Príncipe de Viana Príncipe de Viana Edición Rosa Navarra Spain 2019 Silver
Bodegas Olivares Olivares Rosado Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Piera 1899 Pietra di Pinot Grigio Blush DOC delle Venezie Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Silver
Bodegas Bilbainas Viña Pomal Rosado Rioja Spain 2019 Silver
Raimat Raimat Rosada Catalonia Spain 2019 Silver
Santa Tresa Rosa di Santa Tresa Sicily Italy 2019 Silver
Château de Sannes 1603 Provence France 2019 Bronze
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Pinot Noir Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 Bronze
Australian Vintage Nepenthe Altitude Pinot Noir Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 Bronze
£15-£20
Château Saint Jacques d’Albas La Chapelle en Rose Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Gold
Mission Hill Estate Winery Terroir Rosé Okanagan Valley Canada 2019 Gold
Minuty Minuty Prestige Provence France 2019 Gold
Château Léoube Rosé de Léoube Provence France 2019 Gold
Château Léoube LOVE by Léoube Provence France 2019 Gold
Mirabeau en Provence Mirabeau Etoile Provence France 2019 Gold
Chamlija Rosé de Strandja Strandja Mountain Turkey 2019 Silver
Château de Sannes Aciana Provence France 2019 Silver
Maison Saint Aix AIX Rosé Provence France 2019 Silver
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Domaine Haut Gléon Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Silver
Banfi Srl Cost’è Tuscany Italy 2019 Silver
Torre Mora Scalunera Etna Rosato DOC Sicily Italy 2019 Silver
Tenuta Moraia Rosato Maremma Toscana DOC Tuscany Italy 2019 Silver
Alpha Estate Rosé Single Vineyard Hedgehog Amyndeon Greece 2019 Silver
Poggio al Tesoro Cassiopea Tuscany Italy 2019 Silver
Château Des Demoiselles Charme des Demoiselles Provence France 2019 Silver
Roseline Diffusion Roseline Prestige Provence France 2019 Silver
Australian Vintage Winemakers Select Tempranillo Rose Adelaide Hills Australia 2018 Bronze
£20-£30
Domaines Ott By Ott Provence France 2018 Master
Minuty Château Minuty Rose et Or Provence France 2019 Gold
Scala De Scala Dei Pla dels Angels Catalonia Spain 2019 Gold
Château Léoube Rosé Secret de Léoube Provence France 2019 Gold
Château des Demoiselles Château des Demoiselles Provence France 2019 Gold
Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel Provence France 2019 Gold
Gusbourne Estate Cherry Garden Rosé Kent UK 2019 Silver
Château Sainte-Roseline Cru Classé Lampe de Méduse Cru Classé Provence France 2019 Silver
£30-£50
Domaines Ott Clos Mireille Rosé Provence France 2018 Master
Château Léoube Rosé La Londe Léoube Provence France 2019 Gold
Château Sainte Roseline Cru Classé La Chapelle de Sainte Roseline Cru Classé Provence France 2019 Silver
£50+
Minuty Château Minuty 281 Provence France 2019 Master

Unoaked medium-dry rosé (4 g/l to 12 g/l)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under  £10 
Bosco del Merlo Pinot Grigio Rosé DOC Veneto Italy 2018 Silver
Cantine di Ora Masso Antico Primitivo Rosé Puglia Italy 2019 Silver
Botter Vivolo di Sasso Veneto Italy 2019 Silver
Mission Hill Estate Winery Estate Rosé Okanagan Valley Canada 2019 Silver
Casa Vinicola Sartori Vero d’Oro Rosato Veneto Italy 2019 Silver
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Pasqua Mater Anna Pinot Grigio
Rosé delle Venezie DOC
Veneto Italy 2019 Bronze
Siegel Wines Siegel Rosé Cinsault Colchagua Valley Chile 2019 Bronze
Bodegas San Dionisio SF Rosado Jumilla Spain 2019 Bronze
Botter Pinot Grigio Rosato delle Venezie DOC Veneto Italy 2019 Bronze
£10-£15 
Bird in Hand Bird in Hand Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 Silver
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Cecilia Beretta Freeda Rosé Trevenezie Veneto Italy 2019 Silver
Cantine San Marzano Tramari Rosé di Primitivo Salento IGP Puglia Italy 2019 Bronze
Bodegas Carchelo Carchelo Rosé Jumilla Spain 2019 Bronze
Cantine di Ora Amicone Corvina Rosato Verona IGT Veneto Italy 2018 Bronze
Cantine di Ora Il Casato – Schiava Valdadige DOC Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2019 Bronze
Cantina di Bertiolo Villa San Martino Pinot Grigio Blush Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Bronze
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Pasqua 11 Minutes Rosé Trevenezie IGT Veneto Italy 2019 Bronze
£15-£20
Bird in Hand Bird in Hand Pinot Nero Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 Silver
£20-£30
Fantinel Sun Goddess Pinot Grigio Ramato Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Gold

Oaked dry rosé (4 g/l or lower)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
£10-£15
Gérard Bertrand Joy’s Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Gold
Chivite Las Fincas Rosado Fermentado en Barrica Navarra Spain 2018 Gold
Marisco Vineyards The King’s Desire Pinot Rosé Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Bronze
Finca Albret Albret Rocío Navarra Spain 2019 Bronze
£15-£20
Bodegas Juan Gil Juan Gil Rosado Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Australian Vintage Tempus Two Copper Rosé Hunter Valley Australia 2019 Silver
Quinta Nova de Nossa
Senhora do Carmo
Quinta Nova de Nossa
Senhora do Carmo Rosé
Douro Portugal 2019 Bronze
£20-£30
Gérard Bertrand Château la Sauvageonne La Villa Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Master
Terra Sancta Wine Terra Sancta Special Release First Vines Rosé Central Otago New Zealand 2019 Silver
£30-£50
Domaines Ott Château Romassan Provence France 2018 Gold
Caves d’Esclans Rock Angel Provence France 2019 Gold
Château d’Esclans Château d’Esclans Provence France 2018 Gold
Poggio al Tesoro Cassiopea Pagus Cerbaia Tuscany Italy 2017 Silver
£50+
Gérard Bertrand Clos du Temple Languedoc-Roussillon France 2019 Master
Château d’Esclans Les Clans Provence France 2018 Master
Château d’Esclans Garrus Provence France 2018 Master

Best value sparkling rosé (tank method): Rosa di Gemina

Producer: Bortoluzzi
Country: Italy
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie
Vintage: 2019
Residual sugar level: Brut (8g/l)
Colour: Pale salmon pink
Medal: Silver in the Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: Under £10

In my view, inexpensive pink fizz should be fresh, fruity, soft and refreshing, which may sound like an obvious set of requirements, but is rare to find. But Bortoluzzi has cracked it with the Rosa di Gemina pink Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie, which has a pretty pale salmon pink appearance, masses of sweet pear and crushed strawberry flavours, a gently frothy fizz, and a bright apple-like finish, giving a dry sensation following all that juicy fruit. If you are looking for an affordable fun sparkling, then this represents a great option.

Best value sparkling rosé (traditional method): Louis Bouillot, Perle d’Or Rosé, 2015

Producer: Maison Louis Bouillot
Region: Bourgogne
Country: France
Grape(s): Chardonnay (46%), Pinot Noir (49%), Gamay (5%)
Vintage: 2015
Residual sugar: Brut (8g/l)
Medal: Gold – The Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: £20-£30

Although this top pink sparkling expression from Crémant de Bourgogne’s Maison Louis Bouillot is not cheap, relative to top sparkling rosé from Champagne, it is outstanding value. It delivers so many of the hallmarks of great pink fizz, such as fine, soft bubbles, toast, fresh ripe fruits from red apple to melon and raspberry, followed by a dry chalky finish, along with a touch of creamy vanilla – some oak barrels were used in the winemaking. This is definitely the thinking person’s fine sparkling wine.

Best-value rosé: Belle Année Rosé

Producer: Mirabeau Wine
Country: France
Region: Languedoc
Grape variety: Grenache (60%), Syrah (20%), Cinsault (20%)
Vintage: 2019
Residual sugar level: <1
Closure type: Screwcap
Colour: Pale salmon pink
Medal: Gold in the Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: £9.99

If I were to name a star buy for lovers of pale, dry rosé, the sort provided so well by Provence, but at a cheaper price, then it would be Belle Année Rosé. Made by major Provençal rosé producer Mirabeau Wine, and using the same set of grapes as found in the pink wines of Provence, and the same winemaking methods, it looks and tastes like a Provençal rosé. Except it isn’t. By sourcing its fruit from the equally sun-drenched Languedoc, where there is less pressure on grape supplies, and consequently lower prices, Mirabeau has managed to make a Vin de France rosé that has all the lovely nectarine and white-cherry flavours of Provençal rose but at a sub-£10 price point.

The world’s best dry, unoaked rosé: Clos Mireille Rosé

Producer: Domaines Ott
Country: France
Region: Côtes de Provence
Grape variety: Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle and Syrah
Vintage: 2018
Residual sugar level: <1
Closure type: Natural cork
Colour: Pale salmon pink
Medal: Master in the Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: £30-£50

It’s always pleasing to find out at the end of a blind tasting that some of the wines that really wowed you were ones that already have an established reputation because it confirms that such wines are genuinely great. And Domaines Ott’s Clos Mireille Rosé is a brilliant example. A pioneer in top-end, beautifully packaged, expertly crafted Provençal pale pink wine, Domaines Ott is still at the top of the game with this classic and delicious expression. Loaded with peach and pink grapefruit flavours, and a wonderful texture that starts with fresh fruit, moves into a riper, oilier feeling, and finishes with a soft but dry chalky sensation, this is a very fine glass of wine. And, my highest-scoring unoaked pink wine of 2020’s Global Rosé Masters.

Best-value oaked rosé: Joy’s

Producer: Gérard Bertrand
Country: France
Region: AOP Languedoc
Grape variety: Grenache (40%), Syrah (30%) and Cinsault (30%)
Vintage: 2019
Residual sugar level: <1
Closure type: Vinolok (glass)
Colour: Pale salmon pink
Medal: Master in the Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: £10-£15

It dawned on me during this year’s Rosé Masters that now it’s de rigeur to make very pale, bone-dry rosés, winemakers need to find methods to put a bit of stuffing in their blends that may once have come from riper fruit and residual sugar. While texture can be enhanced by extended contact with a wine’s fine lees, including stirring them up, when it comes to imparting a gently sweet taste in a dry wine, then fine French oak is a wonderful solution, especially if some of it is brand new. Some manage this combination of pink wine and barrel-sourced vanillin better than others, with Château d’Esclans a master, and Navarra’s Chivite another accomplished barrel-aged rosé maker. But a further one is Gérard Bertrand, and with his new wine, called Joy’s, you can enjoy the delicious union of peach and wild strawberry characters in the rosé with an indulgent vanilla cream note from the oak, and for surprisingly little cash. It’s a bit like drinking barrel-aged luxury rosé Garrus, but at a sixth of the price.

Best celebrity rosé: Hampton Water

Producer: Gérard Bertrand
Country: France
Region: AOP Languedoc
Grape variety: Grenache (40%), Cinsault (30%) Mouvèdre (30%)
Vintage: 2019
Residual sugar level: <1
Closure type: Vinolok (glass)
Colour: Pale salmon pink
Medal: Gold in the Global Rosé Masters 2020
Price: £15-£20

While a celebrity association for any brand is a great way to rapidly raise awareness, it doesn’t provide a guarantee that the product is any good. Thankfully, the world of rosé has a set of labels that combine a fine drink with a famous name. But which is the best? Well, judging by this year’s Global Rosé Masters, it is a brand made by Gérard Bertrand in collaboration with rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse. Called Hampton Water, in reference to the popularity of delicate dry rosé in Long Island’s top summer destination, The Hamptons, it’s a barely-pink wine, but with plenty of punch, delivering lingering layers of white fleshed fruit from nectarine to peach, along with a hint of red berries, and a gentle citrus acidity.

The world’s best rosé…

This year, we had two wines that achieved equally high scores of 96 points, which means I must conclude that there is not one ultimate Rosé Master in 2020, but two.

These are Garrus by Château d’Esclans (pictured below) and Clos du Temple by Gérard Bertrand (pictured above). Both are dry Grenache-based rosés from France, both retail for more than £100, both are barrel-fermented, but one uses grapes grown in Côtes de Provence, and the other doesn’t – Clos du Temple hails from a biodynamic vineyard in the Languedoc, dubbed a ‘grand cru’ site by producer Gérard Bertrand.

This means, based on an entirely independent blind tasting, that the Languedoc is capable of making rosé as great as Provence. Not better, but just as brilliant.

Read more

THE WORLD’S BEST ROSÉ REVEALED

You can also see our round-up of the top-value picks from this year’s tasting, with the best-scoring wines for the price rounded up in both the sparkling and still rosé categories. Just click on the links below.

10 BRILLIANT ROSÉS FOR UNDER £10

TOP 10 GREAT-VALUE SPARKLING ROSÉS

About the competition

The Global Rosé Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and forms part of its successful Masters series for noble grape varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; major wine styles, from sparkling to fortified; and famous regions including Rioja, Champagne and Tuscany.

The competition is exclusively for rosé. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding in their field received the ultimate accolade – the title of Rosé Master.
This report features the medal winners only. Please visit The Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

One response to “The Global Rosé Masters 2020: results and highlights”

  1. Rob Ford says:

    I would like to see reference to the barrel particularly if it’s been produced in Acacia Barrels

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