NV Jerome Prevost La Closerie Fac Simile Rose

Only 12% of this superb cuvée, entirely sourced from the Les Béguines vineyard, is composed of red wine, yet it reveals a distinctly different personality from its white alter ego. Composed entirely from the 2022 vintage and disgorged in October 2024 without dosage (though containing approximately four grams per liter of residual sugar), Jérôme Prévost’s NV Rosé Fac-simile (FS22) bursts from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity, featuring notes of red cherry, cranberry and raspberry mingling with spices and rose petals. On the palate, it’s medium- to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with incredible underlying vitality and tension, supported by ripe but vibrant acidity and ample structuring extract. Long and persistent, this is one of the most compelling renditions of this reliable cuvée—and although it’s flamboyant and irresistible right away, it will only grow more profound with a few additional years post disgorgement.

Jérôme Prévost’s NV Rosé Fac-simile (2019)—composed primarily of the 2019 vintage and complemented by 20% reserve wines from 2018—was disgorged in October 2021 with a dosage of 2.5 grams per liter. Now three and a half years post-disgorgement, it continues to drink superbly. The wine unfurls from the glass with a deep bouquet of ripe red berries, exotic spices and orange zest, mingling with darker, savory undertones that lend complexity to its aromatic profile. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, vinous, multifaceted and intensely expressive, exhibiting remarkable concentration. Its vibrant acidity and attractive, bitter phenolics serve to amplify the wine’s mineral signature, leading to a long, resonant finish. Now entering its prime drinking window, this cuvée stands at a perfect point in its evolution, as the organic fruit tones begin to recede, revealing the profound, terroir-driven imprint beneath.

The 2017 vintage was very challenging for Pinot Meunier, plagued by rot and fruit fly infestations, yet Prévost somehow managed to produce some of the wines of the vintage. From my cellar, the NV Extra Brut Rosé Fac-similie (LC17) continues to go from strength to strength, exhibiting aromas of red berries, blanched almonds, fresh pasty, spices and citrus oil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegantly vinous palate, with lively acids, pinpoint mousse and a long, sapid finish. Fac-similie can take a long time to unwind, but the fleshy, charming 2017 is already drinking brilliantly.