50–55% Pinot Noir, 28–33% Chardonnay, 15–20% Meunier; 25–40% reserve wines; Brut Yellow Label with 12% red wines from the villages that Demarville upholds as Champagne’s best for red wine production: Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Dizy, Aÿ, Cumières and Les Riceys; 10g/L dosage;
This is a lesson in what a difference 12% red wine can make in a blend, particularly in the hands of one of the finest red wine outfits in all of Champagne. In its medium salmon guise, this is an elegant, refined and pretty rosé, in an appealingly fruit-focused style of vibrant red berries, red apple, lemon zest and pink pepper. Tannins are impeccably handled, leaving lively acidity to define the structure completely uninterrupted by well-integrated dosage. A long finish confirms a particularly distinguished Clicquot Rosé.