Denbies Stepping Stone Rosé 2016 Surrey England 75cl

Denbies Wine Estate sits in the Surrey Hills just outside Dorking and is one of England’s best-known wineries, farming one of the largest single vineyards in the country. Planted in the mid-1980s, it has been a pioneer of English wine for decades and draws thousands of visitors each year to its cellar door in the North Downs. Its Stepping Stone range is the estate’s approachable, everyday tier, made to show off home-grown fruit without any fuss or ceremony.

This Stepping Stone Rosé is a pale, dry English pink wine grown and made on the estate in Surrey. Its precise grape blend is not recorded in our data, so we have described the style honestly rather than claim specific varieties it may not contain.

The 2016 vintage in England was a steady, moderate season that favoured fresh, aromatic wines, exactly the conditions that suit a light rosé built around bright acidity and delicate fruit. English rosé has come a long way, and Denbies has been part of that story from early on.

In the glass expect a pale, pretty pink colour, soft red-berry and redcurrant notes, a touch of floral character and a crisp, dry finish. It is light in body and gently refreshing rather than rich or weighty.

Serve it well chilled as an aperitif, or with lighter summer food such as salads, grilled chicken, seafood or a picnic spread. For its modest price it is a fuss-free, sociable bottle, and a relaxed introduction to English rosé from one of the country’s flagship estates.