WE MIGHT never know whether the pink wine from Aaldering of Devon Valley in Stellenbosch was a contender for one of the 2022 Pinotage Rosé Awards. It might have been interesting to see whether the panel appointed by the Pinotage Association concurred with that at the Michelangelo Awards (SA) who a few weeks earlier had presented a trophy no less for Aaldering’s 2022 Pinotage Rosé. However the Aaldering wasn’t among the Pinotage Association’s competition winners and there’s a policy in place that precludes against naming any of the other entries in a field of 20.

Also noteworthy about the Aaldering pink is that it’s the most boldly priced of South Africa’s top Rosé wines at R225 a bottle. This is more than the R195pb being asked for Ken Forrester’s Silver Rose (from Grenache), a ‘cellar exclusive’ from the Helderberg-Stellenbosch producer that achieved a double gold medal at the 2021 Global Fine Wine Challenge in Australia. Which, by the way, was a higher price than the R145pb for the Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2021, a white from one of South Africa’s signature varieties honoured as best in its class at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK! (Did Ken Forrester owners AdVini get the pricing wrong on this Chenin? Sold out ex-cellar but, at the time of writing, still available at certain retailers, e.g. Pick n Pay).

Apart from the sparkling kind, Rosé tends to be thought of by most discerning experts as being outside the realm of ‘serious wine’, with not even the best examples deserving of 95+ on the scorecard. Not that that’s at all deterring for the many who enjoy it as an uncomplicated quaffer which tends to cost less than R100 a bottle. Nothing grander than silver medals for the category at the 2022 Trophy Wine Show, the 2021 Veritas Awards or any of the international competitions staged in Europe, but there are well over a dozen ‘pinks’ that have received good reviews in 2022 from the panels at Michelangelo, the National Wine Challenge (SA), the Pinotage Rosé Awards and the Shiraz SA Challenge – see below. For details of all top SA Rosé ratings during the past two years, click here. (Results of the 2022 Rosé Rocks competition (SA) postponed from early- to mid-October).

TOP SA ROSÉ / PINK WINE

Aaldering Pinotage Rosé 2022
R225pb ex-cellar, Devon Valley-Stellenbosch

Allée Bleue Shiraz Rosé 2022
R90pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek

Alvi’s Drift Pinotage Rosé 2022
R65pb ex-cellar, Worcester

Arniston Bay Rosé 2022
R80pb ex-Stellenbosch Vineyards

Bon Courage Lady of the House Pinotage Rosé 2022
R82pb ex-cellar, Robertson

Botha Blanc de Noir 2022
R60pb ex-cellar, Worcester

Elgin Vintners Belle Amie 2021 (Blanc de Noir)
R160pb ex-cellar, Elgin

Jakkalsvlei Pinotage Rosé 2022
R90pb ex-cellar, Herbertsdale

Laborie Rosé 2022
R79pb ex-KWV cellar, Paarl

Landskroon Blanc de Noir Pinotage Off Dry 2022
R70pb ex-cellar, Paarl

Meerhof Grenache Rosé 2022
R90pb ex-cellar, Riebeek Kasteel

Meerhof Premium Grenache Rosé 2021 (Wooded)
R155pb ex-cellar, Riebeek Kasteel

Misty Mountains Pink 2022
R90pb ex-cellar, Stanford

Napier Petite Marie 2021
R95pb ex-cellar, Wellington

Niel Joubert Blanc de Noir 2022
R69pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Perdebrg Vineyard Collection Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2022
R95pb ex-cellar, Paarl

Simonsig Woolworths Chenin Blanc Pinotage Rosé 2022
Stellenbosch wine exclusive to Woolworths

Windmeul Pinotage Rosé 2022
R65pb ex-cellar, Paarl