McHenry Hohnen head winemaker Jacopo Dalli Cani (top left) with previous Pink Jacket recipients and Nick Ryan (top, third from left) and Tom Riley from P. Johnson (top right).
Established in 2002, the Margaret River Wine Show once again celebrated the best of the region’s bottlings last week.
Margaret River is unequivocally known for its Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which held court as expected in the show this year. However, it would be remiss to ignore the rise of rosé over recent years, with regards to both quality and consumer demand.
Writer Nick Ryan, who chaired the judging panel for the third time this year, said: ‘If anyone thinks that rosé is an afterthought, a bit of giggle juice and something you pump out while concentrating on “serious” wines, you’ll be left behind. I think we make much more serious rosé in this country than we ever have.’
‘Rosé is a serious wine, and it deserves to be treated as a serious wine. Its context is fun and hedonistic, but all fine wines should be in a fun and hedonistic environment, really,’ he added.
Julian Langworthy’s production figures at Deep Woods Estate speak volumes. ‘The year I started, we made about 200 dozen bottles of rosé. In 2022, we made about 25,000 dozen bottles of rosé, which is a pretty meteoric rise in 12 years,’ he said.
In 2015, the Margaret River Wine Show began the custom of anointing the rosé trophy winner with a dapper pink jacket.
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