Touché Rosé: Australia’s Largest Rosé Wine Event – My Highlights

On Friday I attended Touché Rosé – Australia’s largest rosé event with over 65 rosés to try from Australian and international producers! It was a night of drinking pink and I loved it! It was such a great way to show the diversity of rosé wine. Plus I FINALLY tried my first glass of Frosé!  On the night I came across some real gems which is what I want to share with you on the blog today.

Firstly a big thank you to the Unfiltered Wine Club for inviting us along. These guys host a number of wine events in Perth, typically dedicated to a certain style of wine and/or grape variety – so keep an eye out for them.

Touché Rosé was held at the Perth Town Hall, this is a great spot for a wine tasting as there is so much room. The event was set up with the bar, DJ and food vendors downstairs and a couple of the rosé tasting tables, however the majority of the rosé exhibitors were upstairs.

Upon entry we received a lovely Plumm glass, a voucher for a free glass of Deep Woods Harmony Rosé from the bar and a booklet listing all the rosés, where they’re from, price and an order form. I liked how the ordering is set up, it’s all done through Old Bridge Cellars and basically you just pop down what you want, add your card details and then your order is delivered to your door (free of charge in the Perth Metro area).

I didn’t manage to get around all the wines but from what I tried there were some definite stunners. So what were my stand out rosés from the evening that I will definitely be drinking again?

Marchand & Burch – Village Rosé $26

I have had a few wines from M&B over the years however the rosé is a new one for me and I loved it! From the colour to the smell and of course the taste. Rohan from Off the Vine is the distributor for M&B and he told me all about this absolute gem. Marchand & Burch come to us from the same family who produce Howard Park and Mad Fish Wines here in WA with cellar doors in both Margaret River and the Great Southern. The rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir from the Great Southern and is perfectly dry and elegant. I need more of this rosé in my life!

Morlet Filly’s Folly Rosé $22

This is a brand new winery discovery for me. Morlet is based in Margaret River and is run by two very charismatic brothers. Their rosé leans more to the sweeter side of life, but it’s not overly sweet – more an off-dry style if you ask me. I’m not a major sweet wine drinker, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, especially after Nigel Morlet mentioned it’s a great match with hard cheeses! It’s made from Zinfandel and has a slight fizz to the wine with heady raspberry flavours and lovely crisp acidity that balances out the sweetness perfectly.

Deep Woods Frosé

This was my first time trying frosé and I totally understand why everyone is drinking it – it’s so damn delicious! I am glad I started off with a good one too. At the event, glasses of it were selling for $10 and it was made in a New York style with Vermouth. Add in some fresh strawberries and some Deep Wood Rosé and you have utter deliciousness garnished with some fresh mint.

Happs Cremant Sparkling Rosé $35

As you guys know, I am a sucker for a good bubbles so after finding out Happs had a bubbly rosé – I headed there straight away. And what a stunner it is! It’s made from Pinot Noir and has a simply beautiful silky texture to it. It’s nice and dry and I have no doubt a bottle of this would be emptied far too quickly in my house!

Calneggia Family Vineyard Margaret River Rosé $18

This one was so delicate and elegant – such a pretty wine at a great price. The Calneggia Family produce a number of awesome labels down in Margs including Rosabrook, Bunkers and Bramble Lane. Which are all made by the talented winemaker – Brian Fletcher.

Victory Point Margaret River Rosé $23

Another new producer for me and what a great wine to start with! This rosé is made from cabernet franc, pinot noir and malbec grapes and a percentage of the wine spends time in oak to aid complexity. It has a nice full flavour and it had my palate totally swooning after it!

Tripe Iscariot Aspic 2013 Rosé $37

It was interesting to try a rosé with a bit of age on it. The majority of the rosés at the tasting were 2015/2016. This one is made from Grenache (see what I mean about the diveristy of rosé with nearly all the ones I have mentioned in this post being made by completely different grapes!) and what really caught my eye was the ‘Nose to tail. Berry to stalk’ on the bottle. I soon found out that winemaker, Remi Guise likes to include everything in the fruit in his winemaking. Typically stalks and such are discarded at an early stage but with this rosé it’s actually fermented on stalks. A very interesting wine and worth a taste if you get the chance.

Tellurian Rosé $27

I recently tasted this rosé and loved it however I thought I should just remind myself at the event why I liked it so much the first time around. It hails from Victoria’s Heathcote region and is delicate, dry and disappears very quickly!

Tasting note: It’s rosé season!! What a perfect way to quench ones thirst this summer. This pink vino hails from the Heathcote wine region in Victoria and is made by @tellurianwinesheathcote. I must say it would be perfect for #pinknictime! I love the shade of this rosé – it’s an elegant light peach colour in the glass. The nose is enticed by gentle nuances of strawberries and apples with a sprinkle of micro herbs. This pink drink really is as pretty as a flower right from the colour through to the finish in the mouth. It has a very dainty mouthfeel – silky and immensely refreshing with the perfect amount of acidity. Totally in love with this delicate dry style of rosé and it definitely made me feel like I was drinking summer in a glass! All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! 

Chateau St Jacques La Chapelle en Rosé $32

It was great to see a number of French rosés at the event. La Chapelle is made from Grenache grapes and it was just so darn refreshing. I loved everything about this Frenchie, it simply screamed ‘drink me as an aperitif’!

Lenton Brae No Way Rosé $20

I loved the vibrancy of this wine on the eye but also on the palate. This 2016 rosé is made from Shiraz and Merlot and made me think of roses (the flower) and strawberries. I wouldn’t turn down a glass, or bottle of this one – no way!

I could go on forever as there were literally so many gems at this event but alas my wine glass is calling for a refill. I really hope Touché Rosé comes back again in 2017 as it was a great night and a great way to celebrate rosé wine!

Do you have a favourite rosé? If so, do me a favour and leave a comment below letting me know so I can add a few more to my list to try!