Rosé champagne may be known as a pink version of champagne but a good one needs to be much more than just that.
The idea of rosé champagne flowing into glasses and being clinked together is the perfect picture of celebration and pleasure. Rosé champagne is a step-up in luxury within an already luxurious market. It commands a noticeably higher price and is rarer than other kinds of champagne. But now, more than ever, the decision to drink, dare I say it – PINK, is a considered one that goes beyond its visual allure.
It could be the workmanship of the chef de caves, the expression of place, or the myriad of flavours produced by the varieties which almost always includes great compatibility with a large variety of dishes.
Rosé champagne’s history dates back to the mid-1700s. Discussions still circulate around where the style first began, however, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart were producing pink bubbles well before the eighteenth century. How it came about is less clear, though Madame Clicquot was the first to champion the blended method of adding red and white wine together.
I find it quite easy to picture the vin de cuvée left for a little longer than usual, resulting in a type of saignée showing-up in the base wine. Or even the vin de taille naturally capturing a little more pigment and providing a surprisingly darker hue. Maybe, even more creatively, a slightly squiffy winemaker standing over the press sipping on a glass of Bordeaux rouge having a brilliant idea to add just a touch of the ruby juice. Glug, Splash. Can’t hurt right?
However it came to be, the innovation of blended or macerated champagne to produce a rosé style opens a world of sensory delights.
Where a while back it might be true that drinking rosé was a cosmetic choice, today that couldn’t be further from the truth. We have seen the style taken to the next level of analytical and deliberate winemaking.
In my job, I’ve noticed that grower champagnes inspire more open conversations around rosé styles. Guests that would normally feel intimidated asking questions about Pol Roger – for example – will happily discuss Laherte Frères. I’ve noticed restaurant lists now separating rosé champagnes in terms of weight and technique. This allows guests to select by characteristics such as delicacy and minerality, like Paul Bara Grand Rosé Brut with no malolactic fermentation, or R. Pouillon & Fils Brut Premier Cru Rosé, with its bold and savoury style made by maceration.
Rosé champagnes by the glass require a different set of considerations. Champagnes that fit the bill include Henriot’s Brut Rosé with its elegantly poised red berry fruit from the Montagne de Reims, and the more opulent 2006 Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésimé.
Our curiosity, and greater access to all kinds of champagnes, has never made rosé styles more appealing.
Whilst there is always a place for rosé champagne enjoyed at picnics, high teas and the races, today’s appreciation of rosé styles feels right at home in pinot noir glasses served at 11 degrees, decanted, alongside game meats at main course rather than smoked fish canapés.
