Rose Champagne

The Champagne grower-producer Gaston Chiquet has made a name for itself as one of the best. In a region with thousands of small producers, it is a credit to owners Antoine and Nicolas Chiquet. Based in the evocatively named Dizy, the family first planted vines in 1746 but did not produce Champagne until 1935, when brothers Ferdinand and Gaston Chiquet took the bold step of setting up their own label, rather than merely selling grapes to the larger houses. Today they produce 15,000 cases a year.

A blend of 30 percent Chardonnay, 40 percent Pinot Meunier and 30 percent Pinot Noir, this has nine grams per litre dosage. The nose has pure, red-berry aromatics of strawberries, raspberries and hints of pink grapefruit. The palate is vibrant with an attractive weight from the dosage.
The NV Brut Rose Premier Cru is a beautifully poised, centered wine. Predominantly Pinot Noir, the Rose impresses for its breadth and rich, voluminous personality. Hints of crushed flowers, Rose petals and sweet red berries linger on the refined, polished finish. The Rose is 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, including 18% still red Pinot.
Drink: 2012-2016. 
Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Nov 2012

Bara’s Rosé is a cornucopia of delight, its redcurrant and rosehip core energised by the addition of 12% of Pinot Noir from Bouzy (where else?) , its balletic mid-palate bursting with joie de vie and  exhorting the drinker to the highest possible spirits.  With 2008 as its base year and plenty of Reserve Wine adding complexity, this is a broad-shouldered, vinous Champagne with a lively mousse and no lack of focus on the finish. 
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

The enthusiastically engaging Benoît Marguet-Bonnerave, the fifth generation in the family, is at the helm of Marguet. Benoît has coverted the vineyards (in two villages, Ambonnay and Bouzy, both Grand Cru) to biodynamic farming since 2009 and uses extremely low quantities of sulphites in the winemaking. He has been particularly successful with his rosé, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by the saignée method.

Who better than Benoît Marguet, doyen of Ambonnay, to complete our UKC Grand Cru trilogy? Sourced from the finest Grand Cru villages, this is perfectly balanced and richly structured. It is an exuberant and beautifully fragrant wine, with red berries and other summer fruits dancing harmoniously on the palate.

Billecart-Salmon is one of the few remaining Champagne houses to be owned by the original family and was established in 1818 by Nicolas-François Billecart. Most of Billecart-Salmon's fruit comes from a small vineyard holding, though this is supplemented with grapes bought in from the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims. Meticulous production techniques, from the use of their own cultured yeast to its long, slow, cool fermentation, ensure that the family has 100 percent control of production.

Billecart-Salmon is renowned for the quality of its delicate rosé – and rightfully so. This is a delightful rosé with a charming, fruity nose and palate with hints of roasted nuts.

De Sousa is based in the Grand Cru village of Avize in the Côte des Blancs. Vigneron and paterfamilias, Erick de Sousa is third-generation Portuguese who practices biodynamic viticulture. The De Sousa philosophy adheres to late ripening, allowing the vines to benefit from the mineral-rich soils and to develop palate profiles that are both rich and pure, with most impressive length evidenced across the range.

This has a salmon pink, copper-tinted hue and a nose redolent of roses, violets and also redcurrants, raspberries and wild strawberries. On the palate, these fruits develop a liqueur-like texture, counterbalanced by light citrus and mineral elements from the Chardonnay.
This has a salmon pink, copper-tinted hue and a nose redolent of roses, violets and also redcurrants, raspberries and wild strawberries. On the palate, these fruits develop a liqueur-like texture, counterbalanced by light citrus and mineral elements from the Chardonnay.
(Edwin Dublin, London Shop)

The loquacious and extremely likeable Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters is one of the most highly respected growers in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where 12 of his 17 hectares are located. The style of Le Mesnil Champagnes focuses on mineral power and capacity to age. Péters is the master of this art; a full malolactic fermentation and moderately high fermentation temperatures serve to tame the steely acidity of the wines, but in no way diminishes their inherent power and potential to develop over the medium to long term.

This cuvée was first introduced in 2007.

The nose is packed with red fruit (raspberry, strawberry and redcurrant) alongside rose petal and lavender. The palate displays great rosé character with hints of verbena as well as Granny Smith apple. The mousse is very fine and the finish both long and elegant.

Ruinart is a low-profile, yet select, Champagne house which is steeped in history. It was founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart in the city of Reims, the year after a Royal Decree in 1728, whereby Louis XV gave his consent for sparkling wines to be shipped in baskets containing 50 to 100 bottles. This opened the gates of Europe to Champagne and thus makes Ruinart the oldest Champagne House.

Premier and Grand Cru sites only supply the grapes for this excellent rosé, which is made up of 45 percent Chardonnay and 55 percent Pinot Noir, with 18 percent of the latter added as red wine. A subtle nose of rosehip, spice and wild strawberry; on the palate the wine marries exuberant fruit with a richly velvety texture. Ruinart is famous for their Rosé; justly so it would seem.

The ingredients for Larmandier-Bernier’s success are many and varied; biodynamic viticulture, wonderfully old vines and a non-intervention approach in the winery to mirror the respect for nature in the vineyards. Nothing out of the ordinary on the face of it, but when all elements are joined together the results are little short of outstanding.

Made by the unusual (for Champagne) and tricky technique of prolonged skin contact with the juice, you can almost taste that extra degree of texture not generally seen in rosé Champagne. The main player here is Pinot Noir, uncommon in the Côte des Blancs, and this location tempers the fruit, giving a finesse to the subtle black cherry, rosehip and lightest touch of strawberry.  Drinking beautifully now as an apéritif, it develops a delicate savoury note with a little bottle age, pairing well with rabbit or game birds.

Archetypical rose, made from bled grapes, dominated by red fruits and an aestetic ensemble which is close to irresistible.

Bright salmon with cherry copper tints, energy and vitality.  Initially discreet on the nose despite its breadth and underlying richness, with delicate strawberry fruit and touches of minerality.  More spicy complexity as it opens, with real depth and power.  In the mouth, fine mousse on the attack with precise mineral notes wrapped in velour, fleshy and mouth-filling but effortlessly balanced by freshness.  Needs time to develop but manages to combine the freshness of the 2004 and breadth of the 2002 within a suave textured package.  
Adrian Brice - Fine Wine Buyer

Unlike the elegant 2004, this 2005 is muscular, masculine and unquestionably a powerhouse Rosé. Initially expressive nose of spicy red fruit. Much more “red” in character than “rosé” due to the high percentage of still red wine (approx. 27% instead of average 19%). Over time the nose evolves beautifully in the glass revealing spicy strawberry notes. In the mouth the wine is big, rich, masculine and mouth-filling. Initially the acid is a touch disjointed but this can be forgiven due to the age of the wine. In the glass the palate comes together nicely with very fine tannin. This needs food and time. The vertical tasting of 2005/2004/2003/2002 really showed how Dom Perignon are possibly the best at expressing the individual characteristics of the year while retaining their beautiful house style. 2005 is another great Rosé (from the very BEST producers of Rosé) to add to the pantheon of legendary vintages since 1959. 
Gareth Birchley - Fine Wine Buyer

Described by Dom Pérignon as the jewel in their crown, Dom Pérignon’s Rosé is complex, bold and unimaginably enticing. The growing conditions in 2004 were superb with no weather extremes, a relatively cool August and plenty of sunshine prior to harvest, which contributed to a very healthy crop. The ultimate result is a resounding success, and by Dom Pérignon’s standards, a fabulous vintage rosé champagne which will reward drinkers or collectors alike.

Orange/pale pink, this already has so much more concentration than 2003 on the nose. Lifted, light, deep, everything. It’s incredibly seductive, savoury and sweet, with yuzu and a lovely richness on the palate. Incredibly balanced, this is very precise in the mouth. Structured but voluptuous. Very classic, it’s so long – just outstanding.

Bollinger's Grande Année Rosé champagne is a subtler wine than its non-vintage sibling, lighter in colour and more delicate of aroma, yet ultimately more profound. Pinot Noir, as one would expect, dominates the blend ( 68%) , and is also added as a still wine, but only a relatively modest 5%. Onion-skin heading towards salmon of colour, the 2004 boasts all the qualities of this generous vintage and the wine, en bouche, combines lively red fruit notes with a savoury, satisfying finish. Taut and focused, this is an engaging exemplar of the cerebral potential of Rosé Champagne in general and Bollinger’s burgeoning expertise in this area in particular.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer) 

Louis Roederer, a wonderful family-owned Champagne House founded in 1776, has a tremendous reputation for quality. It has remained an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage. Eighty percent of the firm's needs are supplied by their own, magnificent, 444 acres of vineyard holdings. In 1876 it created the now famous Cristal, at the request of Alexander II. Today it is one of the most luscious, deeply flavoured Champagnes available.

An expressive nose is followed by a mineral restraint on the palate that is now opening up. With nuanced layers of red berries and rose petal, gorgeously delicate bubbles and a precise elegant finish, this captures the essence of Roederer's signature wine.
Until 31st August 2017 this product is discounted by 22%. Prices shown include discount; no further discount will be applied at checkout.