Rosé is made from red grapes, with limited skin contact giving the wine its colour while retaining the freshness and acidity that define many of its most popular styles.
Far from being a single expression, Rosé can range from delicate and citrus-led to savoury, textural and deeply fruited, depending on the grape variety, region and winemaking approach.
Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah feature prominently in southern France, while Mourvèdre brings greater structure to the Rosés of Bandol. Across Australia and other regions, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Shiraz, Aglianico, Tempranillo and other red varieties offer distinctly different interpretations.
Provence Rosé
Provence remains one of the principal reference points for dry Rosé.
Côtes de Provence is particularly associated with pale, dry wines showing fresh red fruit, citrus, stone fruit, floral and subtle herbal characters. Grenache and Cinsault commonly form part of the blend, alongside varieties including Syrah and Mourvèdre.
The collection includes Château d'Esclans, from Whispering Angel and Rock Angel through to Garrus, alongside Minuty, Miraval, Roseblood d'Estoublon, Rameau d'Or and Domaines Ott.
The wider southern French selection extends into Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence and Mediterranean IGP wines, including releases from Maison Saint AIX and Maison Bréban Villa Aix.
Bandol Rosé
Bandol sits within Provence but produces a distinctly more structured expression of Rosé.
Mourvèdre plays an important role in the appellation, contributing savoury character, spice, texture and the ability to develop with bottle age. This gives Bandol Rosé a different profile from the lighter styles commonly associated with Côtes de Provence.
Current releases include Domaine du Gros Noré Bandol Rosé and Domaines Ott Château Romassan Bandol Rosé, with Domaine Tempier represented when allocations are available.
Australian Rosé
Australian Rosé spans considerably more than a single pale, Provence-inspired style, with grape variety and regional climate playing an increasingly important role.
Grenache is particularly well represented across South Australia. MMAD Rosé from Blewitt Springs sits alongside releases from Yangarra, Hentley Farm and Torbreck, while Izway Aglianico Rosato offers a more savoury interpretation from the Italian Aglianico variety.
Cooler regions provide another perspective. Farr Rising Saignée Rosé from Geelong and Giant Steps Yarra Valley Rosé sit alongside regional releases from Tasmania, Margaret River and Gundagai.
Across these regions, Australian Rosé ranges from delicate and bright to more structured, textural and savoury expressions.
Italian, New Zealand & Other International Rosé
Beyond France and Australia, Rosé reflects the grapes and traditions of individual wine regions.
Italian Rosato within the collection includes Pasqua 11 Minutes and Babo Rosato, while Spain is represented by Tempranillo Rosé and Austria by Pittnauer.
New Zealand producers including Amisfield, Craggy Range and Villa Maria offer cool-climate expressions, including Pinot Noir-based Rosé.
For something less conventional, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Rosé de Pinot offers a rare Burgundian expression of Pinot Noir Rosé.
How Rosé Wine Is Made
Rosé gets its colour from contact between the juice and the skins of red grapes. How that contact is managed influences colour, tannin, flavour and texture.
Direct Pressing & Short Maceration
Many Rosés are made by gently pressing red grapes with limited extraction from their skins or by allowing the juice a relatively short period of skin contact before pressing.
The juice is then fermented separately as Rosé. This approach gives the winemaker considerable control over extraction and is widely associated with the pale, dry styles of southern France.
Saignée
Saignée, meaning "bled" in French, involves drawing juice away from red grapes during maceration and fermenting it separately as Rosé.
Depending on the producer and approach, saignée can produce Rosé with greater colour, concentration and texture. Farr Rising Saignée Rosé provides an Australian example within the collection.
Colour alone, however, is not an indication of sweetness, quality or flavour intensity. A pale Rosé is not necessarily drier than a deeper-coloured wine.
Rosé in Large Formats
Rosé is particularly well represented in larger bottle formats.
The current collection includes 1.5L magnums, 3L and 6L bottles from producers including Whispering Angel, Maison Saint AIX, Roseblood d'Estoublon, Miraval, Minuty and Domaines Ott.
Selected releases extend as far as 15L, alongside standard 750ml and selected 375ml bottles, providing options for larger gatherings, events and gifting.
Choosing a Rosé Wine
For a pale, dry and refreshing style, Côtes de Provence Rosé is a natural starting point, with producers such as Whispering Angel, Minuty, Miraval and Domaines Ott offering different interpretations.
For greater structure and savoury character, look towards Bandol Rosé, where Mourvèdre plays a more prominent role.
Australian Rosé offers a broader range of varietal expressions, from Grenache-based wines from South Australia to Pinot Noir and other cool-climate styles. Italian, Spanish, Austrian and New Zealand Rosé broaden the category further through different grape varieties and regional traditions.
Shop Rosé Wine at Kent Street Cellars
Explore Rosé from Provence, Bandol, Australia and around the world, including leading producers such as Château d'Esclans, Domaines Ott, Minuty, Miraval, MMAD and Farr Rising.
Delivery is available Australia-wide, with same-day delivery also available across eligible Sydney metropolitan areas.
