Duménil Brut Rosé "Vieilles Vignes" Champagne

On my way out the door of the SF store one evening, I asked my colleagues to recommend a rosé Champagne to drink with a dear friend—they unanimously chose NV Duménil Brut Rosé "Vieilles Vignes" Champagne. When I looked at the price, at first, I thought—no way—so affordable! But then I remembered—this is K&L, a treasure trove of the most spectacular hidden gems in all of wine retail. First sip, my friend and I looked at each other wide eyed—whoa! This is going to be delicious! On the nose—alpine strawberry in all its sumptuous, perfumed glory followed by the siren song of leesy toastiness and flint. On the palate—a fine patisserie envelope of toasty, flaky laminated dough—filled with fresh strawberries and ethereal crème Suisse, with a subtle flinty finish. As the wine warmed a little, notes of nectarine, raspberry and blood orange peeked out and gave a flirty wink. After tasting the wine, we snacked on the potato chips, strawberries, and crème fraîche. I love this simple pairing because you can dip both the chips and berries into the crème fraîche—all went chef’s kiss perfect with this wine. It’s amazing how a well-chosen wine shared with a beloved friend can crank the greatness of an evening to 11.

This is a serious deal on Champagne! This bottle is full of ripe, juicey red fruit on the palate. There's also a nice creaminess throughout. The acitity here cuts through all of this, though, making a refreshing and easy-drinking Champagne. But don't let that easy-drinking nature fool you, as there's also a complexity from the reserve wines used in the cuvee. This is a crowd-pleaser of a bottle, for the casual drinkers and the serious Champagne fans, and at this price point definitely one to stock up on or take to your next party!