The Little Wine Company Sangiovese Rosé 2021

Australian rosés have come a long, long way from the days when shiraz and grenache were the main ingredients. The rise of Italian grape varieties, notably Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, has opened up the field to a whole world of alternative flavours and textures.

Sangiovese brings its Mediterranean charm to this delightful 2021 rosé set in the prettiest tea rose hues. Looks fragile but is far from it. Spring scents aplenty of apple blossom, acacia, raspberry, plum with light confection. A solid flavour base, indeed, quite the mouthful, and the textural mouthfeel definitely lifts this rosé in the quality stakes. Sangiovese cherry and spice come into their own on the palate and that little whisper of residual sugar sweetness is the icing.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic