If there’s one wine that can go with anything — tofu dogs to a crown roast of pork, ballgames to romantic, white-tablecloth dinners, it’s Champagne — and extra points if it happens to be rose.
That statement might have been considered declasse a few years back. Many thought Champagne ought to be clear, and rose is just a little frippery, the white zinfandel of the bubbly world. Most Champagne houses offered one, but it was all too often an uninspired pink version of the house’s most basic wine, or it was a vintage wine, made only in particularly good years (and therefore very expensive).
That’s changing. The past decade has seen a surge in high-quality roses — wines that are just as delicious and elegant as their clear counterparts but with a little extra depth, a base note of red fruit that adds resonance, especially with food. Among the big names, Champagne Bollinger recently released its first nonvintage rose, while Veuve Clicquot has released a pink version of its best-selling Yellow Label Champagne. A slew of smaller, elite houses such as Paul Bara, Jacquesson, Chartogne-Taillet, and even Pierre Peters, a formerly all-chardonnay house, has added new roses to the lineups as well.
Perhaps this isn’t surprising, given the region’s past: All Champagne used to be pink. Red grapes were what the growers on the rolling plains of central France grew — mainly pinot noir — and, given the chilly climate, they never got all that red.
Over time, however, vintners replanted some of the land with white grapes — namely chardonnay — which have a better chance of ripening over the short, cool summer. They kept some pinot noir and another red grape, pinot meunier, in the warmer pockets of the region, but they were rarely allowed to show their color. Instead, most red grapes get blended with chardonnay, and vintners were careful not to let the grape skins taint chardonnay’s steely, bright hue. Even Champagnes made entirely from red grapes are more often white than pink, labeled blanc de noirs, or “white of blacks.” (Red grapes are occasionally called black grapes in France).
This makes sense, as pinot noir is a persnickety grape even in the most generous climates; in a climate as marginal for grape growing as Champagne, France, it’s a real challenge. Plus, the grape skins that hold the pigments also contain tannins, which can make wines feel drying — a characteristic that can be pleasurable in a red wine but isn’t typically what you want in your bubbly. Success depends on having exceptional red wine grapes, as well as a deft hand in extracting color without extracting any negative characteristics.
But when it’s done well — and the combination of warming temperatures and increased attention to viticulture throughout Champagne are aiding the cause — the results are delicious, with the same classy elegance as clear Champagnes but a little more heft and red berry flavors.
To me, the most exciting roses are those that unabashedly show off their red grapes in flavor, as well as hue, as these are the ones that can carry all the way through a meal. There are few other ways to so simply make a meal feel decadent.
The only issue is figuring out which are the richest pinks. It’s often simply a matter of style: For instance, Bollinger is known for rich, deeply flavored Champagnes, and its Brut Rose is no exception, built of the same base wine with 5 to 6 percent of still red wine added. The result is a wine with the same broad, toasty flavor as the regular Brut but with a deep blush of red currant and spice notes. Other producers, such as Laurent-Perrier or Soutiran, prefer to build their roses entirely from red grapes. These two are some of the darkest rose Champagnes, brimming with foresty red berry flavors and even a hint of tannin that make them particularly ready for the main course.
Other vintners use oak barrels to impart extra texture and flavors of spice and vanilla to their Champagnes, such as Vilmart, whose Cuvee Rubis is almost meaty with crushed red raspberry flavor and lots of dry spice. Still others come by their richness by way of location: The Aube, an area in the most southerly reaches of Champagne, is particularly known for ripe, rich Champagnes with a preponderance of red grapes. Vintners such as Jean Laurent and Barnaut make rich, savory roses with dark berry flavors that can stand up to duck and other substantial dishes.
So this Valentine’s Day, don’t shy away from the pink Champagne. Pop a bottle for a toast to your sweetheart, and then drink it straight through dinner. Even if you don’t cook, it’ll make takeout feel decadent and romantic.
Some great rose champagnes
Barnaut Champagne Brut Rose Authentique (Vintage 59 Imports, Washington, D.C.; about $40)
Bollinger Champagne Brut Rose (Terlato Wines Int’l., Lake Bluff, Ill.; about $100)
Jean Laurent Champagne Brut Rose (Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, Va.; about $55)
Soutiran Champagne Brut Cuvee Rosee (Vintage 59 Imports, Washington, D.C.; about $65)
Vilmart et Cie Champagne Brut Rose Cuvee Rubis (Tery Theise Selections/Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.; about $65)
