Marchand & Burch Villages Rosé 2023

What a delight. 56% Old Vine Swan Valley Grenache, 29% Great Southern Pinot Noir, 15% Margaret River Shiraz. Here’s a new word for you: ‘stabulation’. If you’ve not heard of the term, it is essentially lees stirring in tank, while keeping the fruit cold. Marchand & Burch utilise the technique here, with several batches of juice kept cold on lees for a week pre-ferment. Afterwards, it’s made like white wine, with a little time in oak and partial malolactic ferment. Okay, that’s the technical stuff covered, now to taste. A joyful nose: fresh rose petals, hand-picked strawberries, watermelon rind, minerality and white peaches. This rosé provides a lovely dance between savoury tones and a fresh, fragile acidity kept in measure with the texture and fruit weight. A bit creamy, a bit crunchy with a moreish dry finish and layers of texture providing great length. On the palate, a lingering note of peaches and cream lollies with a whiff of spice from measured oak use. Drinkability factor is high, and the pretty pale salmon bottle helps with the Riviera holiday vibe. A bargain for a rosé with plenty going on.