2006 Veuve Clicquot la Grande Dame Rose

Winter was particularly cold and long and spring was mixed, but with good conditions for budding. Flowering took place in late June, in what was unseasonably hot weather. Summer was chaotic, with conditions in August more akin to those in late autumn. Fortunately, the vines were able to draw on their reserves to produce an abundant yield of superb quality. We harvested a very fine crop between 14 and 29 September. At the very end of picking, there was some botrytis but it had no impact on the quality of the harvest and our meticulous sorting operation removed any damaged grapes. The young Pinot Noir wines were fruity and full-bodied and the young Chardonnay wines had lots of elegance and finesse. The red wines from Clos Colin in Bouzy showed excellent balance. They were rich and fleshy yet crisp. 85% white still wine (51% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay), 15% Bouzy Rouge. Dosage 8 g/l, disgorged September 2014.  Deep gold-orange. Almost coppery. Not much on the nose, a touch salty, then light red fruits and even a hint of blossom. Slightly smoky on the palate, super-dry and finely textured, supple and subtle but with good length. Tannins are elegant and present, serious and persistent and are very significant in the overall style of this wine. This has a real savoury wine-like quality, even though only 15% of the blend is red wine. (JH)