2019 Rosé Roundup

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS&nbsp;| AUGUST 15, 2019

Worldwide demand
for Rosé, at all price levels, is at an all-time high. Sales have grown
exponentially for the last six years, and even though some market pundits think
the category is burning out, it just keeps accelerating. In many ways this is a
good thing for wine lovers, as we are more spoiled for more choice than ever before.
It’s a double-edged sword, however, because just as there are more high-quality
pink wines available, there are&nbsp;also a growing number of mediocre,
mass-production examples, mostly from factory-style producers looking to cash
in on the trend. I hasten to add that most of those wines are simply boring,
not bad. They’re well-made but are usually either dilute or on the confected
side – often both. But truly awful Rosé is not easy to find these days if
you’re spending more than, say, $10 a bottle.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1565876118286-2019+Rose+3_copy.jpg"> 

Where The Smart Money Should Go

At the top end of
the category, meaning in the $30-plus range, I found a number of wines that are
flat-out superb this year. There are also quite a few overachievers in the $20
range and even a handful with price tags in the low teens. But what I found
really interesting is the growing number of wines made by high-end producers
from fruit that they either grow or buy from less prestigious appellations.
Frankly, calling the world’s best pink wines overpriced is pretty curious given
what plenty of people are happily paying these days for mid-level white
Burgundy or
California wines.

The insatiable
global demand for Rosés from the most famous producers in France, in
particular, means that the wines sell out even before they are released. That
doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon. In an effort to satisfy and expand
their customer base, a number of domaines are now making Rosés from satellite
or nearby appellations, often in négociant
fashion, at prices that are often far more affordable than their marquee
bottlings. And in many cases, the quality of those wines is quite close to that
of their swanky relatives. That’s where my money would be right now, and that
will likely be the case for some time to come, despite what the Chicken Littles
are saying.You Might Also Enjoy <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/make-way-for-even-more-rose-aug-2018">Make Way for (Even More) Rosé</a>, Josh Raynolds, August 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/rose-2018-new-releases-no-slowing-down-jun-2018">Rosé New Releases: No Slowing Down in 2018</a>, Josh Raynolds, June 2018 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/multimedia/josh-raynolds-on-2017-rose-a-word-of-caution-jun-2018">Multimedia: Josh Raynolds on&nbsp;2017 Rosé: A Word of Caution,</a>&nbsp;Josh Raynolds, June 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/the-rose-wave-keeps-building-aug-2017">The Rosé Wave Keeps Building</a>, Josh Raynolds, August 2017 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2017-rose-roundup-drink-now-drink-later-jun-2017">2017 Rosé Roundup: Drink Now, Drink Later</a>, Josh Raynolds, June 2017 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2017-rose-roundup-more-wines-than-ever-part-1-jun-2017">2017 Rosé Roundup: More Wines than Ever</a>,&nbsp;Josh Raynolds, June 2017

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