Ruinart Brut Rose

[Rogers72]

Sure, there are times when a picture is 1,000 words. There are also times when going to grab a camera and taking pictures of cigars and heavenly bubbly completely ruins any ambience that may be there. I'll take the latter tonight. The cigar is a PSP2 (POS MAY 06 about 2mos from Brizzy). The smoke, as ******* delightful as it is, plays second fiddle tonight. It has been a big week for me in my career so I took an old friends advice and decided to grab this bottle of bubbly to celebrate. The gorgeous 8mo old girl is sound asleep, the wife is out with her girlfriends, and nothing beats pink champagne while alone with a good Havana smoke. With the cork popped, I put on some Van Morrison and transcended myself to another place and time that I am pretty sure is called Heaven. I stepped onto the porch and was immediately taken back by the scent of Confederate Jasmine that has just decided to explode around me on this magnificent Carolina evening. This bottle is from a very old and lesser known house in Reims. If you haven't had it, do yourself a favor and go get a bottle or case. Full of sweet, crisp French Pinot Noir fruit. Probably the best Rose that has ever touched my lips. My poor wife has no idea what is in store for her when she gets home.

[havanaclub7]

My poor wife has no idea what is in store for her when she gets home.

It will be liquor d!ck if you drink that whole bottle yourself!

I've had the regular Ruinart Brut before and really enjoyed it. I was at Sam's Club the other day and saw they have Veuve Clicquot Rose. I was tempted to buy because I've honestly never had a Rose champagne before. I'm a big champagne lover too -- have a 1996 Dom and a 1990 La Grande Dame in the wine cellar now. Just have never tried the Rose.

Congrats on your success! Enjoy -- but not too much! ;-)

[SmokinAl]

I'm pretty sure that Ruinart is the oldest house for champagnes and it's one of my favourites too. (Ken?) They have a Grand Cru that I've tried a few times that is out of this world! If you're fond of the Rose Champs, then Billecart would be my pick.

[Colt45]

Sounds like a great time - I say kill the bottle! It is my understanding that the rosé is mainly chardonnay -

is this incorrect?

As much as I enjoy good champagne, I find myself more drawn to Italian sparklers.

[Ken Gargett]

» I'm pretty sure that Ruinart is the oldest house for champagnes and it's

» one of my favourites too. (Ken?) They have a Grand Cru that I've tried a

» few times that is out of this world! If you're fond of the Rose Champs,

» then Billecart would be my pick.

gosset is the oldest champagne house but they were making still wine in the early days. ruinart is the oldest house as far as making fizz.

billecart great rose though hard to beatkrug or cristal (the 88 cristal rose one of the all time great anythings).

both 96 dom and 90 la grand dame nad wonderful wines. the 96 dom is a brilliant dom, perhasp exceeding both 88 and 90, tho line ball. and up with 59 and 64.

[Dr.G]

» then Billecart would be my pick.

I'm with Alain on this one; the best Rose Champagne I've had was a Billecart Rose; delicious!

[El Presidente]

» gosset is the oldest champagne house but they were making still wine in

» the early days. ruinart is the oldest house as far as making fizz.

» billecart great rose though hard to beatkrug or cristal (the 88 cristal

» rose one of the all time great anythings).

» both 96 dom and 90 la grand dame nad wonderful wines. the 96 dom is a

» brilliant dom, perhasp exceeding both 88 and 90, tho line ball. and up

» with 59 and 64.

Interesting Ken. Souds very much like a quarteback calling plays.

89 90 59 64.........

I really am a heathen when it comes to Champagne. I buy Pol Roger 1996 and Pol Non Vintage + Taittinger when I want something different yet bold.

Guillaume while in Beijing put me onto a beautiful Volleraux (from memory) Rose. Loved it.

Guillaume can you give Ken and myself some information on this house and their wines?

[havanaclub7]

» I really am a heathen when it comes to Champagne. I buy Pol Roger 1996 and

» Pol Non Vintage + Taittinger when I want something different yet bold.

»

» Guillaume while in Beijing put me onto a beautiful Volleraux (from memory)

» Rose. Loved it.

»

» Guillaume can you give Ken and myself some information on this house and

» their wines?

Prez,

If you like something bold, I'd recommend Mumm Cordon Rouge. It can be had at a pretty reasonable price and is one of the most crisp and racy champagnes I've had. Lots of apple and pear flavors with just a tinge of citrus and a nice bit of yeast on the finish. It's my everyday champagne.

[Ken Gargett]

» Guillaume while in Beijing put me onto a beautiful Volleraux (from memory)

» Rose. Loved it.

»

» Guillaume can you give Ken and myself some information on this house and

» their wines?

to my knowledge, not imported into australia. i've never seen them. a small family house from the marne (not necessarily the pick of the champagne sub regions). have about 40 hecatres, which is a very large holding for the region, more than some big names - suspect that like most, they would sell the vast majority of their grapes to producers and do a little themsellves.

looked up both stevenson and juhlin, the two major experts on champers. tom stevenson largely underwhelmed but notes a big improvement in recent years.

juhlin notes production at 400,000 bottles, so they must sell a lot of grapes to the houses, and that they export 20%. the vintages get a few fair reviews but he is absolutely scathing about the rose, rating it 35/100. still, it probably wasn't your first drink for the day.

[The Wise Old owl]

The wife and I just bought a "membership" to Costco, kinda like Sams Club or BJs, one of the warehouse retailers here in South Carolina. We got this membership for no other reason than the cheap prices on Champagne. It's getting harder and harder to find Frog bubbles for less than $30, but they had Perrier Jouet, Mumms and Moet for under the $30 mark. One offering of thiers at $50 I had seen at a retail shop for double that!

[Ken Gargett]

they

» had Perrier Jouet, Mumms and Moet for under the $30 mark.

here we usually pay upward of A$70 for those brands!

[Dr.G]

Ken!!!!

You're a pain!!! :-P

I read your reviews in the week end courier mail, like two weeks back on the Cadenzias...makes me drewl (I especially like you dropping in the tobacco leaf!)...and then I can't find any of them in the major chains that service Toowoomba!

Cheers,

George

[The Wise Old owl]

It is my understanding

» that the rosé is mainly chardonnay -

» is this incorrect?

It's my understanding that Rose bubbles are made two ways ... Either (what most regard as the "true" way), by allowing the skins of the Pinot Nior/ Pinot meunier (sic?) to "soak" longer, thus tinting the color red.. or by simply adding some still red wine to the finished product. Early on I was crazy for Rose, but not so much any more. Still, when one is on, it is outstanding. My best recollections are ...1988 Vueve Cliqout La Grande Dame Rose, then a case of half-bottles of Nicolas Feuillate (24 bottles to a case, too...) these half bottles aged quickly and were exceptionally yeasty for a rose. and then there was a Rose made by whoever it is that produces the "Grand Seicle" even though the house name eludes me, I remember the champers... it was gooood. Now I don't see it any more...

[Ken Gargett]

» It is my understanding

» » that the rosé is mainly chardonnay -

» » is this incorrect?

»

» It's my understanding that Rose bubbles are made two ways ... Either (what

» most regard as the "true" way), by allowing the skins of the Pinot Nior/

» Pinot meunier (sic?) to "soak" longer, thus tinting the color red.. or by

» simply adding some still red wine to the finished product. Early on I was

» crazy for Rose, but not so much any more. Still, when one is on, it is

» outstanding. My best recollections are ...1988 Vueve Cliqout La Grande

» Dame Rose, then a case of half-bottles of Nicolas Feuillate (24 bottles to

» a case, too...) these half bottles aged quickly and were exceptionally

» yeasty for a rose. and then there was a Rose made by whoever it is that

» produces the "Grand Seicle" even though the house name eludes me, I

» remember the champers... it was gooood. Now I don't see it any more...

laurent perrier make the grand siecle. fabulous stuff. they have mucked about with it for a bit. brought in a vintage (it is usually a blend of three vintages) because they felt that americans would not consider it any good if a non vintage (aussies are even more vintage conscious). it was terrific champers but not in character for grand siecle and they dropped it, i think. so the rose got bounced along with all that and not sure the latest.

anything 88 was fantastic (the grand dame 88 should still be excellent iif cellared well so assume you mean the quick agers the nic F). i think 88 and 96 (closely followed by 90 and 95) are the great years of the last two decades.

correct re the making of rosefizz but only re champagne. to my knowledge, this is the only region in europe allowed to make rose by the addition me this - rest is all skins. no discernible difference in quality from either method. the addition method probably more popular as allows consistent colour year after year.

george, can't be responsible if toowoomba short on decent bottleshops. you could always ring empporium and ask for travis and he'll arrange what you want. (remind him i am waiting on my winnings, a bottle of 21 year old appleton rum!).