Harrow & Hope Rose, Buckinghamshire, England

Harrow and Hope note that, ‘while they have 40% less’ of this rosé than their non-vintage rosé, you get ’40% more in your glass in sheer concentration and character’. This wine comes from 2019, a year that had a lot of heat, but also a lot of rain at times, especially at harvest. This seemed to favour the early ripening Pinot Noir and Meunier, which was harvested before the rain and whose characters dominate the style of the 2019 wines. In that sense it has a number of similarities to 2015 which was another great pinot year. Because of that, this rosé has immense structure, texture and depth. Saying that it’s certainly one of those wines that will reward those patient enough to put some bottles aside, a hard job admittedly!

Harrow & Hope’s single-vineyard sits on an ancient Thames gravel terrace. Being quite central and away from the coast the vineyard experiences high summer day temperatures with cooler nights that preserve precious acidity.