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 hue, the Grenadine-like aromatic profile intertwines with fresh spring buds, liquorice-menthol notes and finely cut aromatic herbs—coriander, Thai basil. Candy-like on the palate, it reveals silkiness and tenderness, like a great syrup. The freshness, though underlying, is clearly present, and the evident quality of the red wine carries the finish toward blackcurrant and sappy, powerfully built tannins. A feminine–masculine compromise in which gallantry is called for.

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.

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.