2002 Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé

The 2002 Brut Rosé La Grande Année is a beautifully detailed, subtle wine. A noble, intriguing bouquet leads dried roses, berries, minerals all of which come together with gorgeous articulation. There is a wonderful balance between the vinosity of the Pinot and the more chalky, minerally elements that preserve freshness. The finish is totally impeccable and classy. In a word: This is Lot L001831. Disgorged November 10th, 2009.

The 2002 Brut Rose La Grande Annee is a beautifully detailed, subtle wine. A noble, intriguing bouquet leads dried roses, berries, minerals all of which come together with gorgeous articulation. There is a wonderful balance between the vinosity of the Pinot and the more chalky, minerally elements that preserve freshness. The finish is totally impeccable and classy. In a word: Sublime. This is Lot L001831. Disgorged November 10, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. This is an exceptional set of new wines from Bollinger, one of Champagne’s historic houses. From top to bottom, there isn’t anything Bollinger isn’t doing well these days. I recently sat down with Chef de Caves Matthieu Kaufmann to taste through a range of the house’s 2009s. Readers will find notes on that tasting on www.erobertparker.com One of the distinguishing features of the Bollinger style is the aging of reserve wines in magnum under cork (not crown seal), a painstaking labor of love. Bollinger also has some of the most informative back labels among the region’s larger producers. It would be great to see Krug, Moet & Chandon, Roederer, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot and a number of the region’s big houses follow suit. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

(63% pinot noir and 37% chardonnay) Light orange. Heady, intensely perfumed bouquet of dried red berries, singed orange, Asian spices and potpourri. Dry, precise flavors of tangy citrus fruits and candied flowers, along with a strong mineral undertone. Impressively pure rose with strong finishing cut, lingering spiciness and outstanding persistence. Most people assume that pink Champagne won't age but I'd bet on this one being even better in five years. Or even later. (Incidentally, I also tasted the 2002 La Cote aux Enfants Coteaux Champenois, which is Bollinger's 100% pinot noir bottling and provides the red wine base for this bottling. It's a dead-ringer for a great Morgon, with an intense mineral core and vibrant dark berry and bitter cherry fruit character. Unfortunately it is also very rare, coming from a vineyard that is less than a hectare in size. A single bottle also costs about as much as six bottles of top-drawer Morgon too. But what price rarity?)