Rose Champagne

Seductive, forward and fruity, the Imperial Rosé is a great ambassador for this famous name.  Pinots Noir and Meunier dominate the blend, with 10 % of the former added as red wine, and then 10% Chardonnay completing the ensemble and adding floral elegance and hints of white peach on the palate. 30% of Reserve Wine lends depth and complexity, and a relatively modest 9 g/l dosage complements the exuberant red fruit personality with great panache.  
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Until 16th August 2019 this product is discounted by 20%.*
Bollinger is famed for its rich and savoury style of wines, dominated by Pinot Noir and underwritten by oak fermentation and extensive lees maturation. It seemed only a matter of time before the release of a non-vintage rosé and this wine has been well worth the wait.

Dry, powerful and very serious indeed, this highly polished rosé combines notes of plum, patisserie, cinnamon and spice. With structure and weight and harmony of vibrant flavours right across the palate, this is a delicious accompaniment that can match a variety of dishes.

*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout. Discount only applies to  37.5cl, 75cl & 150cl bottles (where applicable). Other formats are not included. 

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.

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)

Sensual, direct and rewarding: the Impérial Rosé is a benchmark style from the largest and most famous House in Champagne. Pinots Noir and Meunier dominate the blend, with 10% of the former added as red wine to give the wine its vibrant pink hue and berry-scented character. Chardonnay completes the final blend, giving freshness and minerality. The style is heady, immediately enjoyable and full of charm, with notes of forest fruit and strawberry shortcake. Drink now.
Davy Zyw, Buyer (summer 2019)

Gosset is the oldest known producer of wine in Champagne, its origins going back to 1584. Situated in the tiny Grand Cru village of Aÿ, 5km from Epernay, Gosset has some rather famous neighbours, including Bollinger. Production, however, is much below that of the larger houses, at around 1.3 million bottles, where as Moët & Chandon are nearing 30 million. With this small production, Gosset concentrates on the quality of its wines rather than the quantity.

I used to find the style of Gosset’s Rosé a little ponderous, sometimes almost oxidised. How all that has changed; the wine is now wonderfully clean, with flavours of rosehip, redcurrant and peach, wonderful aromatics and impeccable length. The archetype of great rosé Champagne.

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.

A perennial favourite in the UK, Champagne Pol Roger is undoubtedly one of the most popular Champagnes on our list and 2008 joins a pantheon of great Champagne vintages, rivalling 2002, 1996, 1990 and 1988. Pol Roger Vintage Rosé - they do not make a non-vintage - is often mooted by the critics as one of the best on the market and the newly released 2008 does nothing to dispel that assertion.

The house remains family owned and maintains a reputation of crafting wines of elegance and finesse capable of extended cellaring. The 2008 has been produced from a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay drawn from some 20 Premier and Grand cru sites 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.

Only produced in limited quantities this is delicious now as our tasting last week affirmed but it will probably be at its best in a year or so and then over the next 5 years.
Sourced only from Grand and Premier Cru sites and having slumbered in Pol's deep cool cellars for six and a half years, this outstanding Rosé fully merits the accolades that have been gleaned by house and wine alike. The blend is made up of 35% Chardonnay, the balance Pinot Noir, of which 15% has been added as red wine.

The classic vintage conditions, cool and then sunny at all the right times, is echoed by the harmonious balance of the wine, a symphony of subtle red fruit charm, with hints of vanillin and grapefruit on the finish providing even greater complexity. The pink peppercorn colour presages a gravitas which is more than merited by a rich yet vinous mouthfeel and a gently spicy finish.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Like the 2006, Pol Roger have crafted yet another seductively mellow rosé in 2008. A gentle summer pudding feel with soft strawberries and blackcurrants along with hints of elderflower and watered down lemon juice.

There is an enthusiastic introduction to the palate of richly weighted ripe red fruits whose upfront appeal precedes a languid ease and the merest hint of minerality behind. Plenty of substance and length here, serious but deceptive with an almost casually carefree finish. 2017-2022.
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager

Bollinger’s straight 2007 is a surprisingly good bottle of wine and the newly released 2007 rosé has again far exceeded expectations. The nose is a delicious interplay of rose petals, strawberries and raspberries along with slightly more mature notes of juicy currant and soft brioche. A broad swathe of textured red berry fruit presents itself confidently upfront with notions of crème pâtissière, almond and bruised apple slotted in behind. This is a complex and immediately appealing rosé enlivened by well integrated acidity that reveals itself on the back end. Great on its own but this also has the credentials to be an excellent match with food. Drink now to 2025.
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager 

Given the house's connection to Bond, 007 sounds like a brilliant Bollinger vintage. Normally, I'm not so fond of the vintage's correct, but somewhat neutral character. I remember that major investments were made by the house at this time and the results are excellent. In my world, this is one of the most surprising vintages from the small boutique house in Aÿ. From the start, this rosé reminds us of the great vintages in the 80's, when the house style was more nutty and smoky than later years, somewhat easier and peachy creations. Tasted next to a Vieilles Vignes Francaises of extraterrestrial eminence from the same year, the wine stood well with a huge poise and power in a rich burgundy style. The aromas are dominated by dried roses, blood orange, forest mushroom, leather and hazelnut cream.
94/100 (95/100 potential). Richard Juhlin

The 1998 Dom Perignon Rose is a striking, intensely perfumed wine redolent of sweet candied cherries and spices. This medium-bodied wine possesses gorgeous structure, and ideally another year or two of cellaring is warranted in order for the full range of aromas and flavors to emerge. The Dom Perignon Rose is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, with most of the Pinot coming from the south-facing vineyards of Ay. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020 (Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, Dec 08)

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

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 majestic Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is made up of equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with 10% red wine added by assemblage. The outstanding 2002 has a beautiful copper-pink hue and an attractive nose which marries hazelnut, red berries and spice.

The palate is equally enigmatic, both delicate and ripe, with a lively mousse yet a harmonious richness, persistent and deeply satisfying. 2002 is the greatest vintage since goodness knows when; the season was almost perfect for the Champenois , eclipsing other fine years such as 1998 and 1996…..This wine is a worthy benchmark of both the vintage and the burgeoning deluxe Rosé category.
Simon Field MW, BBR 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.

Krug was established in 1843 and has since specialised in producing only prestige and specialised Champagnes. It is the only firm still producing all its Champagne in small oak casks, an essential element for developing Krug's intense bouquet and complex flavours.

This refined rosé, with exquisitely clean summer fruit and exceptional length, is about as good as rosé gets. Krug Rosé is the only prestige cuvée rosé to be blended from a palette of wines from three different grape varieties, and from a wide range of vintages. A resting time of at least five years in Krug’s cellars gives Krug Rosé its subtle bubbles and long-lasting elegance. Krug Rosé is a remarkable Champagne which encapsulates the creative spirit of Krug Grande Cuvée.