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

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.

Based on the 2007 vintage this is the best Non-Vintage Mailly Rosé we have yet tasted; the blend is more Pinot-dominated than the Brut, that is to say 75% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, the red grapes macerated by the saignée method, with old vine Chardonnay added at the assemblage stage. The dosage is 8 g/l.

The wine has a generous pink colouring and attractive rose petal aromatics, followed by notes of crushed raspberry and soft spice. The red fruit personality of the wine is sufficiently charismatic to make this a very good partner across the meal, from game terrine all the way through to a tarte tatin!
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

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.

Created by the eponymous widow in 1818, the Rosé is a wonderful partner to the famous Veuve Yellow Label; as always Pinot Noir is in the ascendant, making up just half of the blend. Chardonnay edges it over Pinot Meunier for the balance, lending elegance and linear authority. Wild strawberry aromas dominate here, and the palate is generous, almost savoury and vinous, yet always fresh, approachable and, as a result, incalculably delicious.  
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Bin end – limited quantities at a discounted price.

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

Coppery with hints of salmon and bronze, then a refined nose of nectarine, wild peach and iodine; a wonderful ambassador for this great long-lived vintage. Ripeness and minerality are harmoniously juxtaposed, with plenty of power and a delightful elegant finish, both underscored by notes of vanilla and spice.
(Simon Field MW, BBR-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) 

Moët & Chandon can trace its history back to 1743 when it was established by Claude Moët. It is now part of the massive LVMH group and is by far the largest House in Champagne, producing a staggering 24 million bottles a year and with nearly 30 kilometres of cellars in which to mature its stocks.

Coincidentally like most of the “even” vintages this century, 2004 is shaping up extremely well. Moët’s Rosé adds 22 percent Pinot Noir to a blend which is otherwise shared equally between the three classic Champagne varietals. The wine has a gentle copper colour and a nose which marries blue and black fruit with soft spice. In the mouth there is an impressive mousse and a forward red-fruit personality, the finish betraying inherent complexity with notes of liquorice, bitter chocolate and dried fig all brought to the party – and some party it is!

The Pol Roger Rosé is often mooted by the critics as one of the best on the market. Pol Roger does not make a Non-Vintage Rosé, preferring to release only in vintage years. The 2006 Brut Rose Vintage is produced from a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay drawn from some 20 Premiers and Grands crus on the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

In order to obtain its delicate colour and subtle nose 15% Pinot Noir, from selected vineyards in Bouzy, Ambonnay and Cumieres, is vinified “en rouge” and added to the blend prior to the second fermentation.


Wonderfully salmon pink hue, with lots of fresh red berries on the nose, this is a fine rosé from Pol Roger. Creamy and textured on the palate, this would be a brilliant match with a raspberry soufflé or summer pudding.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

Fresh wild strawberries, whipped vanilla cream and caramelised pastry – no this isn’t a delicious pudding, but a regal rose Champagne from the famous Pol Roger. A lovely rusty pink colour in the glass with spicy peppercorns, summer blossom and fresh herbs. The 2006 grips to your taste buds with layer upon layer of red summer berries. This has all of the finesse I would expect, with a persistent and long finish.
Laura Atkinson, Private Account Manager

The 2004 Pol Rosé is made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay and includes 13% Vin Rouge de Champagne, the latter sourced from two growers in the village of Chouilly and added to the assemblage before the second fermentation.

The complementary hallmarks of both Pol and the highly successful, indeed initially under-rated 2004 vintage are evidenced, namely supreme elegance and great harmony. The rose petal fragrances cede to a palate where wild strawberry, spiced pepper and gentle herbs are pleasingly conjoined. The wine has a certain vinosity which will work nicely with puddings, but also a distinct balletic elegance which makes it perfect also as an apéritif.
Simon Field MW, BBR Wine Buyer