Birthdays, New Year, anniversaries, Champagne is what we think of for many a festive occasion. And there has been a remarkable increase in the number of us choosing rosé Champagne as the ultimate expression in bubbly, especially in connection with such events as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Rosé Champagne’s rise appears to have benefited from the boost in popularity of rosé still wines that have seen a significant improvement in quality. In the past, most winemakers set out to make red wine and then later decided to turn a portion of the juice pressed for red wine into rosé. Now, more often than not, winemakers are choosing to make rosé from the outset and are specifically focusing on producing rosé rather than simply using it as an outlet for unused juice. As winemakers have started making rosé with intention, the quality of the wine has naturally improved.
As well as quality, rosé has been embraced because it can easily be paired with a variety of foods. Rosé’s bracing acidity, lack of oak aging, and moderate alcohol are all very food-friendly traits. Acidity mirrors the tangy and pungent ingredients of spring and summer while also highlighting their fresh flavors. Moderate alcoholic strength means that it does not exacerbate spice or salt, or overpower food. Rosé has white wine structure and red wine flavors, so it can be as light or intense as necessary depending on the food it is paired with.
So what about celebrating Mother’s Day with Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003?
Richard Geoffroy, Creator and Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon since 1990, describes the 2003 as being the one of the most memorable ever.
Indeed, 2003 was a year of all superlatives, a year of extremes, the warmest vintage in 53 years and one of the earliest harvests ever. Richard Geoffrey explains the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 as a wine of all paradoxes: voluptuous and hedonistic yet possessing an almost theatrical depth; incredibly intense yet exhibiting a silky and fleshy texture. The vintage of a perfectly ripe and healthy small harvest, is thus the most precocious since 1822.
As such, Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 is the Dark jewel of Dom Pérignon, an ode to Pinot Noir: witty, vibrant, singing, dancing.
The colour is deep, with light amber and copper tints. The nose incites a burst of richness and complexity. Ripe fruit at first, then fig and strawberry as the wine breathes and grows, revealing guava, violet and vanilla.
The palate is concentrated and remarkably well-defined. The fullness is structured, rich. The silky, spicy material very gradually disappears into a mineral, iodine, salty finish.