Brut, Rosé, Gift Pack, 2008

In tasting Roederers 2008 Brut Vintage Rose, I am certainly reminded of the belief stated in their press releases that a great rose Champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which, they go on to explain, is the reason why this cuvee is always predominantly informed by the steep, shallow-soiled, south-facing, waterside slopes of Cumieres. Certainly what has been extracted from the two-thirds Pinot herecolored via saigneeis an essence of ripe, juicy fresh red currant and red raspberry laced with lemon and orange rinds and perfectly set off by close to ten grams of residual sugar. A faintly sweaty tang and subtle suffusion of chalk add interestand slight grain of tannin invigorationto a lusciously refreshing but still very much fruit-dominated finish. I wouldnt want to rule out some additional depth of flavor emerging over the next couple of years, but it would be a shame to miss out on this cuvee in its exuberantly fresh-fruited youth. Owners of vast vineyards (totaling some 500 acres) that supply the majority of their fruit, Roederer also presidesby design as well as due to that vastnessover a mind-bending number of micro-vinifications, divided entirely between tanks and foudres, supplemented by a concomitantly deep and diverse range of reserve wines. But for all of the variety that these phenomena entail, scarcely any lots undergo malolactic transformation. Importer: Maisons, Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland CA; tel. (510) 587-2000