Your Guide To The Best Bottles Of Vintage Rosé Champagne

I love the episode of Parks and Recreation where Donna Meagle, played by Retta, and Tom Haverford, played by Aziz Ansari, spend the day pampering themselves and saying to each other, “Treat yo’ self.” Sometimes you’re commemorating a special occasion, need a nice bottle to bring to someone’s home, or you just want to celebrate getting through a random Tuesday. To make those celebrations — big, small, and everything in between — even more special, opt for a bottle of vintage Rosé Champagne. I chatted with sommelier and wine educator Carrie Lyn Strong, founder of Strong Wine Consulting and Business Development Manager & Sommelier at Sommation, about our mutual appreciation for vintage Rosé Champagnes. Strong has worked as a Sommelier and Wine Director at some of the top restaurants in the U.S. alongside chefs such as Amanda Freitag, Charlie Palmer, Michael White, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Benjamin Liong Setiawan: What do you love about Rosé Champagnes?

Carrie Lyn Strong: Rosé champagnes are special, unique, fantastic food wines, and let’s be honest…they are pink!

Setiawan: Why would one choose Rosé Champagnes over regular Champagnes?

Strong: Food pairings! Rosé Champagnes have the strength and elegance to pair with so many different flavors and cuisines.

Setiawan: What are your favorite things to pair with a bottle of Rosé Champagne?

Strong: Everything from caviar canapés to Japanese Wagyu steak! 

Setiawan: What makes a vintage Rosé Champagne a good gift to give or receive? 

Strong: Because vintage Rosé champagnes are rare (production is low, so prices are high), they tend to be a bottle one might not ordinarily purchase for oneself. So, they make excellent gifts!

Setiawan: What are your top picks for vintage Rosé Champagnes?

Strong:

• Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1973 or 1996 — really any vintage. This wine stands the test of time! 
• Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Grande Cuvée Rosé 2004. The ultimate expression of passion and elegance!
• Dom Pérignon P2 Plenitude Rosé 1996. Grand Cru and 1er Cru fruit from one of the greatest vintages from the past 50 years.
• Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Elizabeth Rosé 2002 — best vintage after 1996. Wine with a unique and charming character.
• Krug Rosé 25ème edition. Not technically a Rosé, but one to swing for the fence! Composed around the harvest of 2013, spending 7 years of bottle aging in Krug cellars before release.

Strong, with her immense experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, has gotten the fortunate chance to taste all of the above wines and can vouch for their superiority.

Need more options to gift someone or, perhaps, yourself? Here are a few more vintage Rosé Champagne recommendations from @HungryEditor.

Dom Ruinart Rosé 2007

Retail: $365

For years Ruinart has been my go-to Champagne and if someone really wants to indulge me, they’ll get me a bottle of Dom Ruinart. With its deep pink tone Dom Ruinart Rosé 2007 has a bright nose with notes of citrus and cocoa on the palate. Made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, it’s fresh, crisp, and complex. Kinda like me!

Find at OurCellar.com.

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2013

Retail: $360

The 2013 vintage is pale pink with fine bubbles and a floral nose. “Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé is pure extravagance — delicate, yet also rich and voluptuous; ​intense and powerful, yet with great finesse,” affirms Hervé Deschamps, Cellar Master of Maison Perrier-Jouët.

Find at Perrier-Jouët.

Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2012

Retail: $205

Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2012 is a blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. You’ll notice a light rosy tone in your glass and some dark fruits on the nose. As you sip, you will find notes of stone fruit, citrus, and a little spice.

Visit Champagne Bollinger.

Dom Pérignon x Lady Gaga Vintage Rose 2006

Retail: $399

This limited edition Dom Pérignon x Lady Gaga Vintage Rosé bottle was designed by the eponymous musician and her longtime collaborator Nicola Formichetti. The nose of the 2006 vintage has dried fruits and spices. The palate is bold, juicy, a little vegetal, and gives a nod to crashing waves with a hint of sea salt at the finish.

Visit Dom Pérignon.

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