Wine Reviews

The 2009 Rose Comtes de Champagne is one of the very finest recent additions I can recall. The intensity of both the Pinot and the vintage comes through loud and clear in a vinous, resonant Comtes Rose that is engaging right out of the gate. Dark red berry fruit, spice, crushed flowers and blood orange are some of the many notes that meld together seamlessly. The 2009 is a truly special Champagne, but it is also very much on the exuberant side of things. All that said, I absolutely loved it.

This vinous rosé is fresh and appealing, a harmonious version that offers flavors of steeped raspberry and strawberry, white blossoms and spiced orange peel. Gains depth from a subtle chalky underpinning, and the finish shows a tactile touch of raw almond skin. This is hard to stop sipping. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

The 2009 Brut Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a rich, gourmand rendition of this cuvée, bursting with aromas of sweet red plums, buttery pastry, tangerine and baking spices. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a broad attack and a layered, enveloping mid-palate that’s girdled by ripe acids, it already offers demonstrative drinking. This has turned out brilliantly.

The proportion of Pinot Noir in Comtes de Champagne Rosé has tended to increase in recent years, as evidenced by this 2008 vintage, which is almost 70% Pinot Noir. There is 15% red wine, and the rest is Chardonnay. With notes of spices, black cherry, morello cherry and black fruit, the bouquet is impressively complex and delicious. On the palate, the vinous texture, fine bubbles, depth and complexity allow for a long, chalky, chiselled finish. This is a gastronomic Champagne rosé.