Whispering, who? I tried 100 rosé wines and £6.99 Lidl bottle was the best

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Today is National Rosé Day, not that it takes a special day to get us to crack open a bottle.

I don’t know about you though, but I’m all Whispering Angel’d out. It’s the Meghan Markle of the wine world – pretty, polished and everywhere.

Yes, the tutu-coloured wine has come to be synonymous with summer sipping. It’s the that one everyone’s heard of and the best example of insanely good marketing since French Connection (who remembers FCUK back in the day?)

Let’s look at some of its credentials, the hush-toned cherub (my code for Whispering Angel) is the world’s best-selling rosé and it’s just been announced that it’s the official rosé partner of Formula 1 racing. Celebs like Lady Gaga go googoo for the stuff, with Adele admitting to US Vogue magazine that her fist post-lockdown trip to the supermarket was for ketchup and Whispering Angel. Ahh, celebs and their ‘essentials’.  

Sacha Lichine is the man behind the brand. He didn’t just bottle a pink wine when he rebooted the rosé category in 2006, by creating his first vintage of Whispering Angel. He bottled a lifestyle, and ever since, his influence on the world of wine has been, well, iconic. There’s no other word for it.

As Oscar Wilde once said, ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’, and boy, Whispering Angel should be flattered. It’s got more knock-offs than a dodgy market in Marbella.

One retailer (Asda), even has their own version of the rosé called ‘Screaming Devil’.

That said, we’re reaching peak Whispering Angel right about now. When you google ‘why is Whispering Angel…’, the options are ‘so expensive’, ‘overrated’, ‘so popular’, and ‘so bad for your voice’. Though the last one may be about the actual act of whispering.

So, let’s move beyond the pale pink predictability of Whispering Angel, especially at £24 a bottle. Is it worth that much? Heck no. Sure, it’s crisp and zesty, but it’s also relatively simple, lean and austerely dry. Slice off a tenner and we’d be in the right ballpark.

Luckily, there’s a sea of pink wines that’ll make us want to take a selfie on a White Lotus-style yacht this summer, minus the murder. So let’s twist the screwcap on something a little bit more interesting, shall we?

I’ve swirled, sipped and spat out 100 wines at supermarket tastings over the last few months and collated a selection of the most gluggable from Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Co-op and M&S.

So ice down your wine glasses, here are my top 15 (in order of price):

Under £10

Deluxe Argentinian Malbec Rosé Mendoza, Argentina, £6.49, Lidl

Subconsciously, we equate darker coloured rosé with sweetness. That’s just not the case here, or anywhere other than Californian blush wines, really. This is all dry, nectarine sherbet, violets and spice flavours with a gorgeous whoosh of zest factor. Ignore the cranky Vivino reviews, this bottling is top notch.

Wine Atlas Ile de Beaute Rose, Corsica, £6.97, Asda

A Corsican rosé is always going to make it onto my list. ‘The Island of Beauty’ is located just south of Provence, so it’s not a stretch to see how they produce great rosé. 50 million bottles of it a year, no less, so they know what they’re doing. This is subtle at first, but delivers a jolt of perfumed apricot skin and red berry fruit flavours.

Ca Del Lago Rosato Trevenezie, £6.99, Italy, Lidl – Overall Winner

First place goes to one I’ve recommended a few times now. It’s part of Lidl’s core range and is reminiscent of the iconic Ca dei Frati Rosa dei Frati (£25 a bottle). Lidl’s version has everything we need in our rosé-swilling life, from flavours of Red Lady apples to Mirabelle plum skin and cherry blossom. A genuine delight that could (and probably should) be twice the price.

Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé, France, £7.47, Asda

I was staggered by the dinky price tag of this rosé, considering its incredible intensity and punnet-loads of cherry flavours. It’s also fresh, zesty and minerally. Coteaux de Varois is a key appellation in Provence which sits alongside Côtes de Provence, in the Var region. This bottle is super concentrated and exceptional value for money.

Co-op Irresistible Solo Dry Rose, Spain, £8.50, Co-op

This wine has barely any colour yet delivers an unexpected burst of wild strawberry flavours. What the David Blaine is going on? It’s made from generously fruity, Spanish old vine Garnacha grapes that have had the juice separated from the skins almost immediately. Pale and very interesting.  

Côte des Roses Rosé, £9.28, Asda

This rosé has got what it takes to become a Whispering Angel-like icon. The bottle has a rose embossed on its base, for goodness sake. It’s made by French ex-rugby player, Gerard Bertrand, who also makes Jon Bon Jovi’s rosé, Hampton Water. Think generous notes of strawberry sherbet and pomegranate jewels in flavour.

Rosorange, Aldi, £9.99

You probably already know this wine if you’re on social media. It went viral last year for being the only rosé/orange wine hybrid in existence. More crucially though, it’s got a cute, insta-friendly bottle with picture of an orange on the label. The wine itself is opulent and generous, with textured flavours of nectarine and tangerine pith.

Under £12

Breath of Paradise, Lidl, £10.99, Lidl

Lidl recently launched their not-so-subtle version of Whispering Angel, which even has a pair of angel wings on the label just in case you didn’t get it. This has bright and zesty flavours of Mirabelle plum and cantaloupe melon one slays at under half the price  

Extra Special Notre-Dames Des Anges Provence Rosé, £10.47, Asda

This rosé is rolling in awards, and it’s no wonder as it’s delicious. It’s got more stewed strawberry flavours than a regular Provence rosé with a soupcon of candyfloss in the blend, not literally though. It’s generous with its flavours and worth spanking a few more quid on.

Chassaux et Fils Sainte Victoire Provence Rosé, £11.99, Aldi

I went a bit loopy for this rosé when I first tasted it back in March at the Aldi wine tasting. I’ve put the word ‘rich’ a lot in my notes, which is a good thing. This is better quality than the cherub that speaks quietly, with more texture, nectarine and blood orange fruit character and a mouthwatering whizzy note on the finish.

Kylie Minogue Vin de Provence, £11.88, Asda

I just can’t get you out of my glass, Kylie. Not when you’re tasting this good! Not to be confused with the more expensive ‘Côtes de Provence’ wine, also by Kylie which is more expensive and in a squat bottle. There’s also her ‘Kylie Rosé’ which is cheaper and made from grapes grown across France.

Under £15

Screaming Devil Rosé, £12.97, Asda

The name usually takes a minute for the penny to drop. Once it has, pop open a bottle and you’ll find a generous helping of textured, peachy-tasting rosé. It’s a rosé-all-day guzzler, slightly deeper in colour than the wine it’s inspired by, but it actually tastes more expensive at half the price.

Mirabeau X Côtes de Provence Rosé, £13.25, Sainsbury’s

Rosés don’t come prettier than Mirabeau, fact. At this point though, there’s too many Mirabeau labels for me to keep up with, so I tend to gravitate towards the original. Confusing in itself as there’s another one actually called ‘the original’. Anyway, this one is elegant, juicy and clean with aromatic notes of cherry blossom and white peach.

Roseblood Rosé, £14, Majestic

I’d heard about this rosé before actually tasting it, it had a kind of cult-like status. Now I know why, it’s co-owned by former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy and his supermodel wife and singer (and former First Lady of France), Carla Bruni. It’s made by Chateau d’Estoublon, who have been making revered wines for 500 years. The wine is delicious, pithy with notes of candied rhubarb and wild strawberries.  

Under £20

La Balconne Organic Provence Rosé, £18, M&S

At around a fiver cheaper than the cherubic wine, I’m a big fan of M&S’s version. Made by a husband and wife team in the Côtes de Provence, in terms of flavour, it has a uniquely grown-up style. You won’t find anything candied or cutesy about it, it’s a vibrantly fruity, saline and overtly gastronomic wine. Lobster spaghetti, anyone?

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