I am not afraid to say some of my favorite wines are rosé Champagnes! Historically, these wines first gained popularity in the early nineteenth century with the British and Russians. However, it was not until the 1980s that prestige rosé Champagne was produced in any quantity. Rosé Champagnes (Champagne rosé) are often more prized and costly than their golden counterparts. The higher price is due largely to the scarcity of it on the market and the difficulty to produce it. Rosés represent just 3-5% of all Champagne exports.
Part of the intrigue for me is the color, as the spectrum ranges from pale pink to deep coppery salmon. When young, rosés can have a reddish-blue tinge and turn almost orange to amber with 10-20 years of age. When I taste, I become absorbed by the variety of flavors and the subtlety of secondary notes that appear in my glass. Rosés are assumed to be sweet and fruity, but the majority are dry with delicate notes of spice (cinnamon, clove, ginger, pepper), berry (strawberry, raspberry), fruit (apple, pear, plum, orange, nectarine, apricot, peach), flowers (blossoms, elderflower, rose) nuts (walnut, hazelnut, almond), autolysis (toast, yeast), minerals (stony/steely, petrol) and ripeness (carmel, honey).
Champagne Blends
Champagne is typically produced from three main grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Most Champagnes are blends of all three grapes, although Blanc de Blancs indicates the use of 100% Chardonnay and Blanc de Noirs indicates the use of 100% red grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a blend of the two). The Blanc de Noirs (white from red) Champagnes are considered "white" despite their slightly pink-tinged color. True rosés always include at least some portion of red grapes (traditionally 8-20% Bouzy Rouge still wine) and in some cases are 100% Pinot Noir. Depending on the varietal blend, rosés are often more rich and full than their white counterparts. The pink color comes from the Pinot Noir skins since the juice itself is colorless.
Two production methods for rosés
1) Historical method (known as maceration or saignée method) – After crush, the base wine sits in contact with Pinot Noir skins to pick up color. With skin contact the wine may show more raspberry and strawberry aromas.
2) Most common and modern method – Still Pinot Noir wine is added into each Champagne bottle before the second fermentation (part of the liqueur de tirage). It may take longer for the wine to fully integrate because of the mix.
My all-time favorite rosé Champagnes and international rosé sparklers
Some of my favorites include NV Krug Rosé (used to toast at my wedding with my husband and bridesmaids), NV Gosset Grand Rosé, 1993 Pol Roger Rosé, 1997 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Rosé (had subtle notes of orange and spice), NV Ruinart Rosé, 1997 Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Grand Siecle Cuvée Alexandria (made for their daughter’s wedding; I thought it was an excellent pair with lobster salad). As I am a big fan of Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, I am eager to sample their vintage rosé selections (see Vinfolio wine list below).
Outside of Champagne, I have also found good value sparkling rosés including: NV Ferrari Rosé (Trentino-Alto, Italy), NV Janz Rosé (Tasmania), NV Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé ''Perle d'Aurore'' (Burgundy), NV Allimant Laugner Crémant d'Alsace Rosé (Alsace), and NV Roederer Estate Rosé (Anderson Valley, California).
A selection of Vinfolio’s current offerings:
NV Lafitte, Charles - Brut Rosé ($35)
2002 Lenoble, AR - Vintage Brut Rosé ($40)
NV Ayala - Brut Rosé ($45)
NV Billecart-Salmon - Brut Rosé ($74)
NV Egly-Ouriet - Brut Rosé ($74)
1985 Veuve Clicquot - Rare Vintage Rosé ($96)
1988 Heidsieck & Co Monopole - Vintage Diamant Rosé ($100)
2000 Taittinger - Comtes de Champagne Rosé ($178)
1990 Veuve Clicquot - La Grande Dame Rosé (1.5L / $525)
1995 Roederer, Louis - Cristal Rosé ($659)
1995 Moet & Chandon - Dom Perignon Rosé (1.5L / $887)
Click here to see Vinfolio’s entire range of rosé Champagne
