2018 Louis Roederer Brut Nature Deluxe Rosé, Champagne

The 2018 Brut Nature Rosé offers a beguiling combination of strong Pinot Noir inflections and cool, mineral-driven Cumières character. Cranberry, white flowers, chalk, game and dried herbs are all finely sculpted. Here, too, the Rosé is not quite as austere as the first releases in the series because of longer aging prior to bottling and lees-stirring during élevage. Even so, I very much admire the wine’s tension and drive. The Rosé is a blend of 20% Pinot Noir that is picked 5 days ahead of the main harvest and cold-soaked, plus 80% of the Blanc field blend, done in the same infusion style Roederer uses for Cristal Rosé. That approach exalts the flavor profile and structure of Pinot Noir, qualities that explode on the substantial finish.

94 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com

Louis Roederer’s Brut Nature Deluxe Rosé is one of Champagne’s most striking contemporary expressions, born from the creative collaboration between cellar master Jean Baptiste Lécaillon and designer Philippe Starck. The vision was to craft a rosé with absolute purity, no dosage and complete transparency of vineyard and vintage. Roederer’s deep commitment to estate grown, increasingly biodynamically farmed fruit provides the foundation, with Pinot Noir playing a leading role supported by Chardonnay. Careful maceration brings both colour and layered complexity, while the chalk rich soils of the Montagne de Reims lend tension and mineral finesse.

A delicate copper tinged pink shimmers in the glass, animated by an energetic stream of fine bubbles. Aromas feel vivid and precise with wild strawberry, blood orange and redcurrant layered alongside rose petal, toasted almond and a subtle smoky mineral note. There is a refreshing openness that draws you in. On the palate the wine is both structured and fluid, red berry fruit and citrus gliding across a tightly knit mousse. The absence of dosage gives a beautifully dry, saline edged finish that lingers with spice and chalky persistence.

This is the kind of rosé Champagne that feels made for long lunches and vibrant conversation. Think tuna crudo, grilled prawns, tempura vegetables or even charcuterie shared on a sunlit terrace. Drinking wonderfully now for its crystalline energy, yet capable of evolving for eight to twelve years as savoury pastry, dried flower and honeyed nuances begin to emerge. A bold and thoughtful take on rosé Champagne that captures Roederer’s progressive spirit and enduring finesse.