Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day or whatever you want to celebrate this month, you deserve nothing less than the little luxury of rosé champagne. Who can resist thousands of delicate bubbles dancing on your palate all wrapped in the prettiest shades of pink? And what a perfect time to grab a bottle of pink bubbly to share with those you love!
Ok ok, so I realise that this all is a bit much- that rosé in bubbly form can sometimes be taken less seriously than blanc champagne, especially around this time of year, when Hallmark forces upon us a cheesy holiday revolved around love and everything red and pink!
And.. I guess I am adding to all of this with my recent launch of Galentine’s Day Tasting Packages that consist of all rosé champagne. But, I am here to tell you (and those in my tastings) that rosé champagne is something worth exploring, and when you have the chance to drink different styles side by side, it is beyond interesting!
Rosé champagne is pretty rare, representing around 10% of all champagne production, and has been around for over 250 years with the first documented rosé produced by Champagne Ruinart. With this, the average rosé champagne is more expensive compared to its blanc counterpart. But, I’ll let you in on a little secret.. When blind tasting rosé champagne along side blanc, it's almost impossible to tell the difference in most cases!
During my last trip to Champagne back in September, it was the rosés that had my heart: From Vilmart’s Emotion 2012, to Geoffroy’s Blanc de Rose, to Cristal’s 1985 Rosé, I fell in LOVE.
So regardless if this time of year puts me.. and you.. in the mood for drinking pink because of marketing, tv commercials, and offers, why not drink pink, and try different houses and styles you haven't had before! And if you need some inspiration, here are some of my favourite rosé champagnes right now (and what I am serving this month in my tastings).
Fresh and fruity- I have started all my Galentine’s Tastings with this grower champagne. A blended rosè, with the majority being meunier, 30% reserve wines, and 8% added red wine. What I love about this one is all of the Chardonnay comes from their GC vines in the Côte des Blancs, the vines are 45 years old, giving a great concentration and flavour, and aged for 3 years in the cellars (twice as long as the regional minimum) allowing for this rosé to evolve in your glass with every sip! You can order this one directly through me, just send an email to team@avineaffair.com.
This house is based in Aÿ and has roots all the way back to 1628! Their rosé is 64% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 6% Vin Rouge d’Ay. With 40% reserve wines, there are a lot of added layers of depth to this one. What I love most is the texture! I’ve never met a rosé like it! I put it down to the vinification being entirely in sandstone amphora, as well as aged on the lees for three years. It is also very approachable and dry. I drank this all night long at my brother's wedding, and just bought another bottle today because I am craving it again.
I wouldn’t have a ‘to drink’ list without adding one of my favourite Maisons. This rosé is the villages of Cumières and Chouilly at their best, wrapped in a pretty pink bow! I absolutely love the freshness, texture and elegance of this one. In the 2014 vintage rosé, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon used 17% oak cask fermented lots, all of the Pinot Noir is macerated together with a small amount of Chardonnay which is a unique method for producing rosé. I have only seen this another time with a Geoffroy's Blanc de Rose. For locals in Sarasota, you can find this one at Sarasota Wine Company.
J’adore! This one consistently blows my clients away with the first sip. It is deep, rich, aromatic, and bursting with ripe fruits. One of the most awarded vintage rosé champagnes in the world, made up of 12 crus and aged for over 10 years in the cellars, it is smooth, round, and luxurious. The weather of 2005 was warm, dry and sunny with cool nights that helped to boost the sugar in the grapes. The heat and rain made sure that the grapes were plump and heavier than average. This rosé must be on your 'to drink' list if you haven't had it already!
I drank A LOT of this one in 2021, and I have a feeling it will be the same in 2022. I can’t get enough of Elisabeth and in one of the most iconic vintages, this one is not only delicious now, but wait until she gets some decades on her! With its exotic spices and ripe fruits, it is the queen of rosé champagne and one to lay in your cellar if you can.
Besides the 1985 I had in Champagne, this was my second favourite rosé in 2021, and I KNOW it will drink even better this year! I served this at an intimate tasting and it literally stopped time in the room. It is beyond delicious, and if you really want to show someone they are special to you, I really can’t think of a better way than popping this one open on Valentine’s Day!
If you want to explore the world of rosé champagne with A Vine Affair, for the entire month of February, we are offering special packages all around drinking pink! You can find them here!