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

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.

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.

Charles-Camille Heidsieck set up his own Champagne company in 1851 and, right from the start, pursued the highest quality. Based in the great city of Reims, the House is a great believer in the ageability of fine Champagne, ensuring that its luxury cuvées drink well for decades.

The palest of rosés made with the addition of 7% red wine from the great villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy lending a delicate copper tint. The nose is rich with yeast and brioche notes; red fruits (fresh strawberry and raspberry) not evident at first, increase with time in the glass. There is a similar profile on the palate with almost chalk/mineral and citrus notes and red fruits again increasing over time. A very elegant, subtle rosé, drinking beautifully now, but which I suspect will gain further weight over the next year or so.
Simon Field MW, Champagne 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.

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.

Until 30th September this product is discounted by 20%. Price shown includes saving.*

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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

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

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) 

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.

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)

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

The 2002 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 great 2002 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 Buyer)