Pink and proud of it

Darker-coloured, fuller-bodied rosé styles may have slipped out of the spotlight,

- ELIZABETH GABAY MW

Pale pink Provence rosés seem to be everywhere, but 20 years ago the majority of rosés on sale were relatively dark and full-bodied, and many of them lacked freshness and finesse. The evolution of rosé led to the rise of lighter, more elegant wines, along with the idea that the paler the rosé, the better the wine. True or not, this has had the effect of reducing the popularity of darker rosés.

Producers of these styles often have a long history of fuller-bodied rosés, and are today often fighting against the tide of international trends. The fightback has resulted in renewed pride in these historic styles and brought fresher, more modern interpretations of these wines, which are worth looking out for, despite the pressure for 'paler is better.

Most darker rosés were originally made from juice 'bled off' (by the saignée method) from red wines as a by-product, which would result in wines that often lacked acidity and were slightly tannic. Typical regions where you'll still find this approach today include northern Spain and its Garnacha-based rosados and, in central-eastern Italy, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo rosato wines made with the Montepulciano variety. However, producers are now choosing to make these wines separately from the red wines, harvesting earlier to maintain freshness and reducing the temperature during skin contact and maceration, so that their saignée method wines now have both full-bodied freshness and darker colour, but without the heavy, clumsy structure of old. In the New World, darker rosés are often produced in this fruitier style, but often lack the structure found in European wines.

Some varieties lend themselves to the fuller-bodied structure, often with darker fruit flavours, and these typically include Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot.

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