2008 Pol Roger Rose

The tautness of the 2008 vintage has this rosé locked in a tight, refined and elegantly powerful stance, smells of bright strawberry and cassis fruits and lightly spiced cherries, the palate is sensationally fresh and lithe, really juicy and attractive red berry flavors with a tangy, zesty and lively finish that holds impressively long. Drink now whilst fresh or age this through to 2020+ for more savory, fuller style. Oct 2016, www.jamessuckling.com

Readers may recall that I absolutely loved the 2006 vintage of Pol Roger Brut Rosé, and the 2008 version is an outstanding follow-up to that excellent wine. The cépages of the ’08 includes a touch more chardonnay than the ’06, with the blend being sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay. The wine includes fifteen percent still pinot noir and was aged seven years sur latte, prior to disgorgement. The utterly refined bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of cherries, tangerine, chalky soil tones, brioche, a touch of clove-like spices and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, crisp and racy, with a superb core, elegant mousse, excellent focus and grip and a long, nascently complex finish. Not surprisingly, this is a bit more tightly-knit out of the blocks than the 2006 version, but has outstanding depth and should prove to be every bit as exceptional with a bit of bottle age. This is not to say that the wine is not eminently drinkable today, but it is still climbing and will be even better with a bit of bottle age. Sep 2016, www.viewfromthecellar.com, Drink: 2019-2035

Flavors of strawberries and cream, singed orange peel and macaroon are layered on the finely meshed frame of this rich rosé Champagne, kept lithe and focused by bright acidity. Long and minerally on the elegant finish. Nov 2016, www.winespectator.com, Drink: 2016-2028