The Tasting

The Fifty Best held a “blind” tasting of 13 recent release Rosé wines with eight members of our wine judging panel. The order of service was established beforehand by lottery. Strict tasting rules were applied. Each of the wines were poured into fresh glasses from new sealed bottles and served well chilled. Only ice water and crusty peasant bread were available to cleanse the palate.

The judges wrote down their impressions of each wine on score sheets. The scoring was based on a 5-point system, with 5 as the highest. Double Gold, Gold and Silver medals are awarded according to a set range of final point scores received from the judges. There were no Bronze medals awarded for this tasting. Medals are provided based entirely on merit and only to products judged worthy of such award.

The tasting notes that follow are summaries of the judges’ opinions, with all replicated commentary eliminated. The states and countries are identified for each brand.

Château d’Esclans Rosé 2023
(Domaines Sacha Lichine, Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, crabapple, rhubarb, lemon juice, citrus, white flowers, wet stone, sunshine in Provence.
Palate: Nectarine, sweet peach, strawberry, blackberry, red plum, rose petals, honeysuckle, soft mineral, nice tannins, tangy, rich.
Finish: Peach, crabapple, lemon-lime, citrus, mint, thyme, mineral, big, balanced, classic style, near perfect.
Double Gold Medal

Whispering Angel Rosé 2024
(Côtes de Provence, FR)

Aroma: Strawberry, pomegranate, crabapple, apricot, blood orange, melon, pink grapefruit, minerality, wet stone.
Palate: Strawberry, raspberry, black raspberry, tart cherry, rhubarb, yellow peach, blood orange, grapefruit, lemon, mint, white flowers.
Finish: Crabapple, yellow peach, citrus, mineral, wet stone, balanced, tangy, crisp, lively, enjoyable.
Gold Medal