d’Arenberg ‘Stephanie the Gnome with Rose Coloured Glasses’ Rosé 2021
- 92
- $25
- Drink by: 2021-2023
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If you really wonder who would get up in the morning and suddenly decide to name their new wine, ‘Stephanie the Gnome with Rose Coloured Glasses’, or more to the point, why, then you have not met Chester Osborn. Chester assures us that his mate, Stephanie the Gnome, is not bothered by the name and sees life through rose-coloured glasses. We hope so, and we hope he gets royalties from every bottle sold!
I am not sure if this trio of grapes are ever found together in any other blend on the planet, and made as a Rose style, but it works. Also, from their Organic range, small batches of these grapes spent ten days undergoing carbonic maceration, before a gentle crushing and draining into stainless steel to finish fermentation. Final alcohol is just 11.5%, making a chilled bottle ideal for a summer afternoon.
The colour is an exquisite pale pink and the aromas explode – Turkish Delight, lavender, florals, musk. This is a wonderfully fragrant wine and the palate matches the nose. Bright and refreshing. There is good acidity, good focus and impressive length here. Like drinking strawberries and cream. A joy. I have no doubt that Stephanie is very happy (at least about the wine – not sure about his name).
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
