2006 Paul Bara Special Club Cuvee Rose

The Paul Bara 2006 Brut Rose Special Club – featuring virtually the same encepagement as its white counterpart, but incorporating some still red – epitomizes the generous bowl of ripe cherries and strawberries such as I associate with Bouzy Pinot, here delightfully laced with candied ginger and citrus rinds and wreathed in delicately sweet floral perfume. Fine-grained mousse, subtle lees-integration, and persistent juiciness render this irresistible, even if it fails to deliver noteworthy complexity or interactive finishing dynamic. I would be inclined to enjoy it over the next couple of years. Chantale Bara’s wines served as the Bouzy reference point for many of us wine lovers on account of not only their solid quality but also their long-standing U.S. availability. Sourced from an unusually high percentage of old vines, these wines never undergo malo-lactic transformation, and it has struck me in recent years that this might be one reason that they occasionally – notably in their lower price echelons – come off as slightly rustic or brusque. (The “basic” Brut Reserve and Brut Rose bottlings I tasted from Bara on this occasion were modestly recommendable; but since neither a lot number nor disgorgement date was indicated on their labels or bottles, I have refrained from rating them.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524