Wine of the Week: Sharpham Wine Pinot Noir Rosé 2017

Dedicated to producing premium still and sparkling English wines, Sharpham Wine operates from an estate near Totnes in South Devon. On the bank of the River Dart, the 550 acre estate is home to 12,000 vines which soak up sun from the south facing slopes. Here a range of award winning wines are produced alongside a selection of cheeses made with milk from the estate’s Jersey cows that graze the grassland.

One of the initial Devon wineries, Sharpham Wine has been operating for over 35 years but has also faced difficulties in the wake of the coronavirus, especially considering most of the winery’s customers are in the food service, or wholesalers who supply the food service, which had come to a grinding halt until last weekend. Until then, the businesses was urging supermarkets to quickly consider new suppliers from the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, fast tracking products into stores. Sharpham Wine has also linked with its retail customers, attempting to make their products fully available in stores, even offering special offers on their website (from which nationwide delivery is available).

A gold award winner at the South West Vineyards Competition in 2016, Sharpham Wine Pinot Noir Rosé 2017 is produced with Pinot Noir grapes harvested by hand and destemmed in the winery. The grapes are then crushed, then left to soak on skins for 18 hours to reach their desired colouration. The fruit is then pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The result is a dry and youthful wine; a typical cool climate rosé. On the nose, aromas of wild strawberry, sour raspberry, and cherry are omnipresent, continuing on the palate alongside some clean, dry notes with a long refreshing finish. A fresh, fruity well-balanced wine, ideal for pairing with foods such as white meats, goats cheese, and raspberry jam doughnuts.

Sharpham Wines are available for nationwide delivery via the winery’s online shop. RRP £15, 75cl.

Jon Hatchman

Jonathan is Food Editor for The London Economic. Jonathan has run and contributed towards a number of blogs, and has written features for publications such as Eater London, The Guardian, i News, The Independent, GQ, Time Out London and more.