Moët & Chandon : Rosé Impérial

Traditional but exciting style of dry rosé, designed for dinner. Has a copper color, toasty aromas, firm texture and subtle fruit and spice flavors that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2001.

A delightful strawberry-red, its grenadine-like bouquet sits alongside fresh spring buds, mentholated licorice and finely cut aromatic herbs—coriander, Thai basil. Candy-like, the palate reveals silkiness and tenderness, like a great syrup. The freshness, though underlying, is indeed present, and the obvious quality of the red wine carries the finish toward blackcurrant and sappy, firmly built tannins. A feminine–masculine compromise where gallantry is required.

Dressed in a pink salmon color, the non-vintaged Rosé Impérial Brut opens with a clear and fresh, delicately intense and slightly floral bouquet of small red berries, cherries and rose petals. Full-bodied, round, intense and fresh on the palate, this is a lovely aromatic and expressive Pinot Noir/Meunier blend with a kiss of elegant Chardonnay. In total, 20% of red Pinot wines give not just color, but also structure. This is very good and stimulating Rosé.

Fresh redcurrant, pomegranate, wild strawberries. Full palate, great acidity. Almond, rhubarb, raspberry, crabapple, and bittersweet raspberry seed with a refreshing finish.

Pleasant strawberries and kir with toasted bread. Firm, crisp acidity on the medium-bodied palate, with a silky yet brief mousse and a rather short finish as well. Drink now.

(roughly 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, with 9 g/l dosage; LAH9V): Dark, vivid pink. Ripe red berries, rose oil and tangerine on the nose, plus a subtle note of toasty lees. Bitter cherry and berry skin flavors give way to softer raspberry in the middle, with a tangy blood orange nuance adding cut and lift. Packs a punch but shows very good clarity and delineation, finishing round, smooth and quite long.

Pouring an electric pink color, the NV Champagne Imperial Brut Rosé is initially a bit reserved aromatically and opens to juicy aromas of apricot, pressed flowers, and fresh berries. Fluffy and inviting, it’s primary with ripe red fruit through the palate and has a clean and supple finish. Easy-drinking and poppy with fruit, it’s marked by notes of late summer fruits without feeling cloying on the finish. Drink it now or over the next few years.

A juicy fruit with this Mara des Bois, sugar-dusted strawberry that gives the fruit a seductive, sweet character. The palate is comfortable, with lovely vinosity and power. It’s a pity the juice is too coated by the final dosage.

A bold, pure nose of strawberries and cherries is bright and lively, spiced with a faint green-herb note. A bit soft and even sweet-tasting, but that only adds to its easy-drinking charm.