2004 Champagne Laurent-Perrier, Alexandra, Grande Cuvée Rosé, Brut
Critics reviews
Tasted from magnum, the 2004 Grande Cuvée Rosé Alexandra, Laurent-Perrier’s flagship Rosé is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir (on the skins) and 20% Chardonnay vinified together that has only been bottled seven times since 1982. From the very first taste, the 2004 is utterly spectacular. Rich, ample and vertical in feel, the 2004 is dazzling. Dried rose petal, star anise, tobacco, dried flowers, red berry fruit and earthy notes all grace this utterly exquisite Champagne. As good as the 2004 is today – and it is fabulous – it will be even better in another few years’ time. The 2004 has been nothing short of magnificent on both occasions I have tasted it so far.
Drink 2019 - 2039
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2019)
Made only in exceptional years when their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ripens simultaneously, because the wine is made by macerating the red and white grapes together. 20% Chardonnay, 80% Pinot Noir. RS 6 g/l. 10 years on lees. Disgorged in the third quarter of 2015. (If you want to know when LP disgorge their wines, check the code on the cork: there will be a letter and a number. The letters A, B, C, or D stand for first, second, third and fourth quarter of the year. The number is the year, transposed. So C51 = third quarter, 2015.)
Distinct orange/onion-skin tinge. Damson, quince-paste nose. Earthiness. Sharply stitched mousse. Tastes very very dry! Minerals and ripe heirloom tomatoes, a sweet green dustiness. Caraway and wild strawberries. Distinctive. Definitely a food wine and not an aperitif.
Drink now
Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (June 2017)
Disgorged in 2012 after eight years sur lattes, the 2004 Brut Alexandra Grande Cuve Ros has really begun to develop some complexity after seven years on cork. Salmon-pink in hue, the wine wafts from the glass with a beautiful bouquet of blood orange, iodine, dried rose petals, aromatic bitters and tangerine. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and racy, with a delicate pinpoint mousse, good concentration at the core and a long, saline finish. Readers who have had the foresight to cellar a few bottles should pop a cork or two, as this ros is showing brilliantly.
Drink 2018 - 2028
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (April 2019)
Aromas of peaches and light cherries with rust and hints of grapefruit. Earth and spice undertone. Full-bodied, fruity and spicy. Hints of black pepper. Extremely bright and creamy texture. Delicious and delicate finish.
Drink now
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (July 2019)
A deep amber colour immediately signals age in this 2004. The nose opens with a top note of bright lemon, bedded in richest creaminess with a lovely notion of white truffle. The palate is super smooth with creamiest foam and still displays immense zestiness, again with an edge of truffle and notes of marmalade. Yet aromatics continue to flicker, like flashes of lemon balm and blood orange on the fresh side, hints of clove and game on the tertiary side. This is evolved yet fresh and serene. No wonder, since the grapes are from grand cru vineyards only, combining the richness of Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay and the bright sleekness of Chardonnay from Avize, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. A supremely gastronomic wine that is lovely now but will continue to age.
Drink 2023 - 2030
Anne Krebiehl MW, Decanter (March 2023)
About this WINE
Laurent Perrier
Laurent Perrier was founded by André-Michel Pierlot in 1812 in the village of Tours-sur-Marne. However, it was the Nonancourt family who made this the famous Champagne House it is today. Bernard de Nonancourt, a veteran of the Second World War, took charge of the firm aged just 28. He is credited with creating Laurent-Perrier’s house style, centred on freshness, finesse and elegance. Today, Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt is the fourth generation of the family here.
Laurent-Perrier is unique in that its prestige cuvée, Grand Siècle, is a multi-vintage blend rather than a vintage Champagne. Each “iteration”, as they call their new releases, is produced from three vintages, carefully selected by the Cellar Master.
In 2023, Maximilien Bernardeau was appointed Cellar Master, following in the footsteps of the long-serving Michel Fauconnet.
Rosé Champagne
Rosé wines are produced by leaving the juice of red grapes to macerate on their skins for a brief time to extract pigments (natural colourings). However, Rosé Champagne is notable in that it is produced by the addition of a small percentage of red wine – usually Pinot Noir from the village of Bouzy – during blending.
Recommended Producers : Billecart Salmon (Elizabeth Salmon Rose), Ruinart
Champagne blend
Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
26% of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced.
Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.
The final component is Pinot Meunier and this constitutes nearly 35% of the plantings. Its durability and resistance to spring frosts make the Marne Valley, a notorious frost pocket, its natural home. It ripens well in poor years and produces a soft, fruity style of wine that is ideal for blending with the more assertive flavours of Pinot Noir. Producers allege that Pinot Meunier lacks ageing potential, but this does not deter Krug from including around 15% of it in their final blends.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2004 feels remarkably fresh given its 20 years of age. The late disgorgement has created a fruit-forward palate and preserved the balance that distinguished the excellent 2004 vintage. The wine has an elegant salmon hue, an energetic acidity yet a relatively delicate mousse. The nose blossoms with jasmine, redcurrant and just a hint of spice. On the palate these flavours are enhanced further with wild strawberries and orange peel at the fore, yet the extended time on lees is noticeable due to a touch of smokiness. A linear wine with plenty of energy, this is delicious now, but I suspect will keep well until at least 2028.
Henrietta Gullifer, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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