d’Arenberg ‘Stephanie the Gnome with Rose Coloured Glasses’ Rosé 2021

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).