Two great rosé from Académie du Champagne

Eighteen cuvée were offered during a tasting at the Académie du Champagne and here are two rosé Champagnes that are very different from each other yet extremely fascinating. 

This past week began with a major event for wine professionals and Champagne lovers the world over. A meeting was held in Milan of the Académie du Champagne that was organized by the CIVC (Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) and the Italian branch of the Bureau du Champagne. This year’s event explored questions related to blending that were discussed in four masterclasses. A total of 18 cuvée were tasted, all very interesting, different and important wines that will be the subject of future articles in DoctorWine. In my role as Amassadeur du Champagne 2012, I led the technical tasting that focused on vins de reserve and here will look at two rosé Champagnes that are very different from each other yet extremely fascinating.

Today, rosé represents around 10.4% of Champagne production with some 15 million bottles exported a year. Its popularity is also growing in Italy that imported over 400,000 bottles in 2016 placing it in 7th place for rosé Champagne consumption that worldwide is dominated by the United States and Britain. Not all rosé Champagnes are the same with some getting their color from the must macerating on the skins while others get it from blending a little red wine with the white. Both methods enhance the aroma but neither exalt the tannins that would cause the Champagne to lose its finesse.

The following are the two most interesting rosé cuvée tasted: Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé 2009 and Duval Leroy Rosé Prestige.

Being a Vintage, the first represents the performance of a specific year but, as the Maison’s Chef de Cave Benoît Gouez often points out, Moët & Chandon is the largest Maison in champagne also in regard to the expanse of vineyards it owns and this allows it to produce vintage wines even in difficult years. A selection of 20 parcels out of the 800 the Maison has at its disposition allowed it to create a Vintage Champagne in 2009, even in a rosé version, after one of the coldest winters of the past 15 years that was followed by a hot and dry summer. Harvest began around the middle of September also for the red grapes, which had an excellent alcohol potential and 7.5 acidity.

Duval Leroy Rosé Prestige is a rosé d’assemblage, a blend of premier cru grapes, 80-90% Pinot Noir and 10-20% Chardonnay. It is the brainchild of Carol Duval-Leroy who is responsible for the Maison’s success, after taking the helm after the premature death of her husband Jean-Charles, and one of the great women producers in the recent history of Champagne. Founded in 1859, the Maison today has almost 200 hectares of vineyards most of which are organically cultivated and dominated by Chardonnay. It produces close to five million bottles a year that have a distinct, recognizable style thanks to its delicate flavor and precise winemaking technique.

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