Wine of the Week: Hattingley Valley Rosé 2014

We at team db want to celebrate the very best bottles from our Global Masters. Every Wednesday, we’ll select a wine that picked up either a Gold or Master from our competition series, and tell you why the judges loved it.

As we’re midway way through English Wine Week, we thought we’d share another stunning homegrown sparkler that has wowed the judges in our annual blind-tasting competitions.

This one actually picked up a Master in our Global Rosé Masters last year, rising above some seriously impressive wines in the rankings from Italy, Australia and France.

It was one of just two wines that were awarded Masters in the last competition, the other hailing from Champagne Perrier-Jouët. When we asked the judges about the standard of UK wines last year, they were all impressed.

“A couple of the English sparkling wines we tasted were stunning, perfectly poised wines,” said Patricia Stefanowicz MW, while fellow judge and sommelier Andrea Briccarello described the entries from England as the “stars of the show”.

Hattingley Valley’s rosé was singled out for its delicate aromas of apple, red berries, rhubarb and toast, along with its appealing creamy-textured palate.

One judge enjoyed the fact that the pale pink fizz even seemed to carry some blackberry, alongside some zesty citrus and redcurrant fruit flavours, with a mouth-filling, fine mousse to boot. The wine had “lovely definition” according to Stefanowicz, with a pleasing persistence.

The last word on her tasting sheet simply said “yum!”, which tells you all you need to know.

The wine: Hattingley Valley Rosé 2014

The source: Arlesford, UK

The grape(s): Pinot Noir, (60%), Pinot Meunier (38%) and Pinot Noir Précoce (2%).

The style: Rosé sparkling wine

The price: £30-50

The medal: Master – The Global Rosé Masters, 2018