Having completed an extensive tasting of pink wines from right around the world, we bring you 10 fantastic value sparkling rosés, taking across the globe.
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.
The aim of the tasting is simple – find the best wines for the price. And because that’s the sole purpose of The Global Masters, we tend to unearth great samples from unlikely places, quite simply because the classic, benchmark wine-producing areas, while brilliant in terms of quality, don’t always offer the best value for money.
In each case, we believe it would be hard to find a better rival for the same price.
So, read on for our top-value pink sparkling wines, as well as some words on the independent, ‘blind’ tasting process that led to their medal rating.
Dominio Del Rey Vino Rosado (Rosé)
An attractive rose wine, colored with ripe redcurrant hues. Aromas of red fruits with good intensity. On the palate surprisingly aromatic and fresh with a long finish.
Matahiwi Estate Brut Rosé
Proving that New Zealand can play alongside Italy when it comes to affordable fruity pink fizz, this sparkling from Matahiwi Estate has plenty of ripe red berry fruits, frothy fizziness, and palate-cleansing apple and citrus characters too.
Louis Bouillot, Perle d’Aurore, Crémant de Bourgogne
If you love the combination of delicate fruit, chalky dryness, citrus freshness, and bready richness, but you can’t afford to purchase fine pink Champagne, then this Cremant de Bourgogne is a brilliant alternative. Ok, so it might not have the finesse of its more famous neighbor, but this salmon-colored sparkling rosé from Maison Louis Bouillot offers a fantastic value taste of traditional method fizz, with its creamy-textured bubbles, yeasty flavors, and pretty fruits, from white cherry to ripe apple.
Fantinel, One & Only Rosé Brut
A bright salmon-pink rose with fresh raspberry and cherry fruit aromatics, and a nice balance of ripe red fruit flavors, fine bubbles, and an apple-fresh dry finish.
Bollé, Vino Spumante Rosé, Extra Dry
A deeply-colored rosé with masses of morello cherry, peach, and grapey sweetness, along with a frothy fizz and a sour cherry note to refresh. Such a powerfully flavored, slightly sweet pink sparkling such as this would be ideal with a range of foods from strong cheeses or cured and cold meat. For an authentic Italian experience, why not pair this pink spumante with Mortadella?
Rosa Regale
If you are looking for something at the opposite end of the rosé spectrum, then try this sweet, deeply-colored, gently jammy pink sparkling, that would be ideal for the end of a meal, rather than the beginning. Packed with rose petal aromatics, ripe red fruit, and a touch of gently bitter herbs, this is a wild card in the world of rosés, and worth trying for that reason alone.
Louis Bouillot, Perle d’Or Rosé 2015
Although this top pink sparkling expression from Cremant de Bourgogne’s Maison Louis Bouillot is not cheap, relative to the top sparkling rosé from Champagne, it is an outstanding value. Why? 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 pink fizz.
Gusbourne Rosé
If you were in any doubt as to the ability of English vintners to craft high-quality fizz, then try this pink sparkling from Gusbourne. Using all three ‘Champagne grapes’ grown in Kentish soil, it yields a delicious, refreshing, pale salmon pink fizz with apple and pastry flavors, a touch of redcurrant, and mouth-filling fine bubbles. Lovely in that cool, taught, the pure-fruit style that the UK seems to do so well.
Nicolas feuillette Cuvée Spéciale Rosé
Well, we couldn’t have a list of top pink sparkling wines without a Champagne, and, in keeping with our aim to find fantastic fizz at keen prices, we bring you not one but two brilliant rosé at different levels.
A fizz with all the classic characters of pink Champagne, from citrus to red berries and rhubarb, a touch of chalk, brown bread, and a creamy texture, this is a refreshing, if quite a fruity rosé at a good price by pink Champagne standards.
Palmes d’Or Rosé Intense Vintage 2008
Picking up the ultimate accolade of sparkling rosé Master this year was this top pink expression from Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, called Palmes d’Or. Using only Pinot Noir grapes from the brilliant 2008 vintage in Champagne, it is a wonderful example of truly great pink fizz with the delicious characters that come with extended maturation – this is now over 10 years old. Expect a blend of beeswax, rhubarb, stewed apple, and a refreshing fine-stream of bubbles, along with a chalky taste and texture on the finish. This is a fizz packed with personality that would perform brilliantly if served throughout a meal.
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