Top 10 Rosé Wines
Our ten favourite rosé wines right now, chosen for what's in the glass rather than the label. Classic pale Provence rosé, Spanish rosado from Rioja, organic rosé from the Languedoc and a Pinot Noir rosé from New Zealand, from easy everyday bottles to one very serious rosé for a special occasion.
- 2021 Black Cottage Pinot Noir Rose – £13.96
- 2023 Ramon Bilbao Early Harvest Edicion Limitada Rosado – £14.98
- 2022 Figuiere Magali Signature Cotes de Provence Rose – £17.56
- 2025 Maison Saint Aix Provence Rose – £18.95
- 2023 Lalomba Finca Lalinde Rioja Rosado – £22.96
- 2020 Mouton Cadet Les Parcelles Rose – £12.95
- 2022 Yvon Mau Premius Atypiquement Bordeaux Rose – £11.24
- 2025 La Chapelle en Rose Organic – £18.95
- 2024 Chateau Puech-Haut Argali Rose – £17.50
- 2019 Chateau d'Esclans Garrus Cotes de Provence Rose – £127.96
How to choose a good rosé
Pale doesn't automatically mean better. Rosé gets its colour from how long the juice sits on red grape skins, sometimes only a few hours. Provence made the pale, dry, delicate style famous. Spanish rosado and New World rosé tend to be a shade deeper, with more red-berry fruit.
Almost every rosé here is dry. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah are the usual Provence grapes, Garnacha leads in Rioja, and Pinot Noir gives a lighter, strawberry-led style. Most rosé is made to drink young, within a year or two of the vintage. A few, like Château d'Esclans Garrus, are built to age.
The ten wines
• Figuière Magali Signature, Côtes de Provence: the textbook Provence style, pale, dry and delicate.
• Maison Saint Aix, Provence: crisp and pale, a crowd-pleaser for summer tables.
• Château d'Esclans Garrus, Côtes de Provence: one of the most ambitious rosés in the world. Richer and more layered, for a special occasion.
• La Chapelle en Rose Organic: organic rosé from the south of France, fresh and fruity.
• Château Puech-Haut Argali: Languedoc rosé, fresh and generous, great value for the style.
• Lalomba Finca Lalinde, Rioja Rosado: a single-vineyard Rioja rosado, very pale and precise.
• Ramón Bilbao Early Harvest Edición Limitada Rosado: bright, fruity Spanish rosado from early-picked grapes.
• Black Cottage Pinot Noir Rosé, New Zealand: light and red-berried, from Marlborough.
• Mouton Cadet Les Parcelles Rosé, Bordeaux: a dependable, food-friendly Bordeaux rosé.
• Yvon Mau Premius Atypiquement Bordeaux Rosé: an everyday Bordeaux rosé that over-delivers for the price.
FAQ
What is the best rosé wine? It depends on the style you like. For classic pale Provence rosé, start with Figuière Magali or Maison Saint Aix. For everyday value, try Yvon Mau Premius or Château Puech-Haut Argali. For a special occasion, Château d'Esclans Garrus.
Is rosé wine sweet? Most rosé, including everything in this top 10, is dry. Sweeter styles exist, such as White Zinfandel from California and some semi-sweet sparkling rosés. Check the tasting notes on each wine.
How is rosé made? From red grapes whose juice is left on the skins just long enough to pick up colour, then fermented like a white wine. Still rosé is not a blend of red and white wine.
What temperature should rosé be served at? Well chilled, around 8–10°C. An hour or two in the fridge does it.
How long does rosé keep once opened? Three to five days in the fridge with the cork or a stopper back in.
