Herdade de Gâmbia Rosé 2014 Península de Setúbal, Portugal 75cl

Herdade de Gâmbia is a family-owned estate that has farmed the same land in southern Portugal since the early twentieth century. Set within the Sado Estuary nature reserve, it is a genuine agro-forestry property where vines share the land with cork oaks, pine and grazing livestock. Winemaking is in the hands of Nuno Cancela de Abreu, and the labels carry a mosaic crane in tribute to the wildlife of the reserve.

The estate sits on the Setúbal Peninsula, south of Lisbon, where the Atlantic and the broad Sado estuary temper the warm Portuguese summers. That maritime influence favours fresh, approachable wines, and this rosé is made in an easy, everyday style that speaks of its coastal home rather than of oak or power.

2014 was a cooler, wetter than average year across much of Portugal, a vintage that rewarded careful growers with fresh, well-balanced wines. For a rosé built around brightness, that freshness is no bad thing.

Expect a pale pink glass and the kind of light, dry, red-fruited character that defines an unfussy Portuguese rosé, with crisp acidity and a clean, refreshing finish. Serve well chilled.

This is a sunshine wine rather than a serious one, and that is the point. Pour it as an aperitif or alongside salads, grilled vegetables, seafood and lighter summer plates, ideally outdoors with friends.