Be it bled or blended, Rosé Champagne surprises with its colour and its androgynous character. For some, this wine is a feminine icon with frivolous energy, for others, it is a robust young thing crafted for the table. Discover the subtleties of this multifaceted wine.
The fabrication of Rosé Champagne: One wine, two schools
In the champagne business, there are two methods for fabricating a Rosé Champagne wine: blending and maceration. The wines have different characteristics depending on the method selected.
Blending is the most common method to obtain a Rosé Champagne. At the point of blending, just before the formation of bubbles, the winemaker, the œnologist or the cellar master adds a certain quantity of red wine produced according to the AOC (controlled designation of origin) Coteaux Champenois (between 5 and 20%) to the white wine. This method allows devotees to enjoy from one year to the next a blended Rosé with an almost identical colour, density and aromatic profile.
Bleeding is a somewhat more complex and challenging method. It consists of macerating the grape juice in contact with the skins of red grapes (Pinot Noirs and Meuniers) in order to obtain a more or less intense pink colour. The winemaker, the œnologist or the cellar master allows the berries to steep dependent on the result he wants to obtain. The longer the steeping takes, the stronger the wine will be. More heady and full bodied than the blended Rosés, the bled Rosés, also known as maceration Rosés, have the strength of red wines which proudly grace the tables of gourmet establishments.
Contrary to common beliefs, exactly the same grape varieties are used to produce a Rosé Champagne as for a white Champagne, namely two black grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Meunier as well as a white grape variety: Chardonnay. However, a blended Rosé Champagne may use these 3 traditional champagne grape varieties while a bled Rosé Champagne will use only black grape varieties.
Observing the multiple nuances of a Rosé Champagne, , whether it is blended or bled, is a fascinating endeavour shifting between coral pink, rose petal pink, magnolia pink, salmon pink, magenta pink, rosewood pink and peach pink.
From a niche wine to a popular Champagne
The first bled Rosé Champagnes date from 1764 while the first blended Rosés were created in 1818. In the XIXth century, the Rosé Champagnes are niche wines which make up only a small market. They are mainly targeted at foreign countries such as Germany, Switzerland or Austria.
Having experienced some growth in the 90s, sales have gradually increased to reach 20 million bottles in 2022. More than a simple trend, Rosé Champagne has that certain “je ne sais quoi” which wins over wine lovers around the world and especially Americans.
Is Rosé Champagne more sugary?
Appearances are often deceiving. Its robe with multiple subtle tastes does not make a Champagne naturally more sugary than its counterparts. It is the dosage liquor made up of wine and sugar which determines the final profile of the Champagne. Depending on the dosage, it is also possible to find on the market Rosé Champagnes that are Zero Dosage, as well as Extra Brut, Brut or Semi-Dry.
Tastes and colours…
Rosé Champagnes can be matched with different sorts of dishes depending on the production method and the final dosage. These finely crafted wines naturally go down well as an aperitif. Its delicacy enhances the flavour of sushi, sashimi or a seafood platter.
At the table, their aromatic palette, unleashing fragrances of redcurrant, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, cherry and blackberry goes particularly well with sugary/salty matches as well as dishes with spicy and Mediterranean flavours.
Although this match may be a surprise to more than a few, Rosé Champagne also marries delightfully with a slightly chalky Maroilles cheese, shavings of parmesan cheese or with a well-aged goat’s cheese.
At the end of the meal, Rosé Champagne offers that final touch to a social occasion like no other wine. It is of course particularly well matched with desserts based on red fruits or warm crumbles.
A multidimensional wine
All of the wine houses, cooperatives and winemakers now offer a Rosé Champagne wine in their range of products. While some produce Rosé Champagnes following the strictest champagne tradition, others do not hesitate to push the boundaries. Be it in single vineyard, vintage, single grape variety or enriched with Soléra, Rosé Champagne will no doubt continue to make us dream!
