Viu Manent Estate Collection Reserva Malbec Rosé 2019 Colchagua Valley, Chile 75cl

Viu Manent is one of Colchagua’s best-known estates and a long-standing specialist in Malbec, so a rosé from the grape plays directly to a real strength. This Estate Collection Reserva bottling takes that dark, structured variety and turns it into something pale, dry and thoroughly refreshing.

The wine is pure Malbec grown in the warm Colchagua Valley, where cool Andean and Pacific breezes help preserve freshness in the fruit. To make the rosé, the grapes are gently pressed for a pale, clear juice, then fermented cool in stainless steel with no oak, keeping the whole focus on bright, primary fruit.

The 2019 vintage produced a rosé built for early drinking, and by now it is best enjoyed for its freshness rather than kept any longer. Serve it well chilled, at around 12 degrees, so its crisp character and delicate aromatics show at their best. This is a rosé to catch in its first flush of youth.

The colour is a delicate pale pink. Aromas of citrus, white fruit and flowers lead to a fresh, gently creamy palate, with just-picked strawberry and a long, clean finish. It is dry and crisp rather than sweet, the sort of rosé that disappears quickly on a warm afternoon. Chill it down and it is hard to resist a second glass.

If you enjoy the pale, dry style of Provence rosé, this Chilean take offers a similar freshness with the estate’s Malbec pedigree behind it. It makes an easy summer aperitif and a fine match for salads, grilled fish, shellfish or antipasti.