2014 Louis Roederer Brut Rosé Champagne

Wafting from the glass with notes of pear, raspberries and honeycomb, mingled with hints of white flowers and brioche, Roederer's 2014 Brut Vintage Rosé is medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, with fine concentration, brisk acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. Long and penetrating, this is a fabulous cuvée that punches well above its weight, and it comes warmly recommended. (WK)

The Cumières signature that is always found in the Louis Roederer vintage Brut Rosé is very much apparent in this excellent 2014 version, as this village always produced a riper interpretation of the grape and which works so beautifully in Rosés. The cépages this year is its customary blend of 70% Pinot Noir from very chalky vineyards in Cumières and 30% Chardonnay from the village of Cuis in the Côte des Blancs. Twenty percent of the vins clairs this year are aged in larger oak casks prior to blending and bottling. The wine offers up a beautiful young bouquet of tart strawberries, peach, sourdough bread, a touch of caraway seed, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones and a discreetly smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, excellent soil signature, elegant mousse and a very long, very pure and classy finish. This is approachable today, but it will really be a waste of bottles to not give it a few more years of bottle age prior to really drinking it with abandon!

Another outstanding release from one of the last family-run Champagne houses. I must confess that I was wary of a 2014 release, as the vintage showed explosive flowering in the spring followed by a rainy, treacherous summer. But Roederer has once again exceeded expectations and delivered a carefully crafted cuvee that shows the pedigree of their house. Lemon cake and sweet blossoms on the nose segue into a rich palate of strawberries, raspberries and clotted cream. Hazelnut biscotti provides body and balance to the lush fruit and generous acid. Notes of ruby grapefruit and blood orange add further dimension, and savory lees on the finish round out this decadent quaffer. Truly a triumph, and one wine I can't wait to drink again.