2012 Laurent Perrier Alexandra Rose

Tasted from magnum, the 2012 Rosé Cuvée Alexandra is a total stunner, just as it was last year from a 750ml bottle. Except it might be even better in magnum! Sweet red cherry, spice, pipe tobacco, blood orange and menthol are beautifully amplified. Plush curves and wonderfully rich, layered fruit make for a heady, explosive Rosé that captivates all the senses. This is simply breathtaking. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.

A deeper copper/ruby color, the 2012 Champagne Alexandra Grande Cuvée Rosé is made entirely by the maceration method. It opens with notes of cherries, accompanied by a hint of pith, along with a brothy feel and a gastronomic edge that speaks to the house’s savoir-faire. The texture is pithy and subtle, and while it’s well-made, it isn’t especially deep in its profile. A very rare wine, it has only been produced ten times since 1982. The blend is 80% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, and there’s even a dried apricot note. Despite the color, I find it leans into the Chardonnay character. It carries more spice, and a slightly cooked mandarin orange feel, with a chalky but not particularly fresh impression. The mousse is attractive and pillowy, and the savory texture is nice. Drink 2025-2040.

A blend of 80% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, Bouzy, Mailly-Champagne and Verzenay, combined with 20% Chardonnay from Avize, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Laurent-Perrier’s 2012 Alexandra Rosé was disgorged in December 2023 with a dosage of seven grams per liter. Here, Pinot Noir juices—typically macerated for 48 to 72 hours—are co-fermented with Chardonnay musts, resulting in a wine of considerable complexity. Presenting a deep ruby hue, the wine unfurls from the glass with aromas of wild strawberry, pomegranate, blood orange and black velvet gooseberry. Medium- to full-bodied, satiny and beguiling, it reveals a flamboyant core of fruit, underpinned by succulent yet vibrant acidity and culminating in a perfumed, gently phenolic finish. Elegantly muscular and harmonious, it is a wine that compels one to refill the glass, confirming the adage that the best bottles are those that are swiftly emptied.