Laurent-Perrier Rosé—Provenence

The excellence of Laurent-Perrier's rosé Champagne is well known, and Champagne lovers and critics all seem to agree on the quality of the wine. Last night, Cinnamon and I were reminded of this wine's superlative quality when we paired it with some dim sum that we steamed up at home. What an exceptional Champagne experience!

The wine is made in a completely separate facility from the normal winery, a site shrouded in a bit of mystery. I have never seen it myself and don't know anyone outside of the LP organization who has. One thing is clear, this 100% Pinot Noir Champagne is made exclusively from grand cru vineyard sites, and a strict selection of these top-quality grapes is made so that only the cleanest fruit with the best quality skins are used. This is essential because the Laurent-Perrier Rosé is one of the few grand marque Champagne's made with all of the juice in contact with all of the skins. Almost all production rosé is made by an addition of around 10% of dark red wine. Making rosé with an addition of red wine allows for much easier control of color, tannin, and aromas, and also allows for easier selection—one can manage small plots for red wine much more easily than whole fields for direct skin contact.

The amazing thing about the LP is that it has all the aroma and flavor that one would expect from direct skin contact, but unlike so many others made in this style, it is still light, effortless, and super easy to drink. We found it to be a wonderful match across the different dumplings we had cooked up, from pork to crab and even to vegetarian. It has clean, subtle toast, understated maraschino cherry, and even a little summer peach on the nuanced nose and palate impression. It is a great drink for the jaded taster; it is impossible to get bored with. The grand cru chalk and refreshing acidity make it one to come back for more and more on!

A toast to you!

Gary Westby