The winefully Magazine
Four (pink) toasts for our summer
It is one of the market trends of recent years: finally – we say – pink bubbles are starting to have the success they deserve; of course, we are still very far from the large numbers of whites – which perhaps will remain unattainable – but gradually the rosé are coming out of the niche, attracting an ever greater number of admirers. One of the reasons for this new interest probably lies in its versatility: the panorama of pink bubbles, in fact, is so varied in character and expressiveness (and also in price ranges) that it is possible to find the right rosé for every circumstance. And thus abandoning once and for all the obsolete cliché of “women’s wine” and embracing the many facets of this wine kind, we discover that a sparkling rosé can be an excellent wine for any meal – fish but also meat, with the right combinations – and that in summer that seductive mix of structure and softness, in varying proportions depending on the case, can be a refreshing antidote to the sultry heat.
Calendar in hand, what more propitious moment than summer, to offer you four excellent bubbles to accompany your holidays? Uberti – Francesco I Franciacorta Rosé Brut. It is Uberti’s rosé and is part of the line dedicated to Francis I, a tribute to the French king who – according to tradition – in the sixteenth century decided to support the production of sparkling wines, which until then were not very popular because they were considered “defective”.
It is a cuvée of Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (40%) which, with its pleasant candy pink colour with orange highlights, expresses in pink the winery’s territorial Uberti’s family. The grapes are harvested manually, subjected to a rigorous selection, and then go through different vinification routes – the Pinot Noir, in fact, stops for a few days in contact with the skins – and finally be assembled. After the tirage, Francesco I Rosé spends a minimum of thirty months on the lees before disgorging and another six months in the bottle before being released to the public. The result is a fruity and very soft bubble, not devoid of freshness and minerality and, therefore, of a clean and balanced elegance, as always happens with Uberti wines.
We like it because: it is a versatile bubble, capable of intercepting contemporary taste without giving up its elegant and identity character. A rosé with an easy but not trivial drink, perfect for a carefree summer aperitif or to accompany an entire dinner overlooking the sea. Ferrari – Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Rosé 2008. Presented at the end of 2020, the 2008 vintage of Giulio Ferrari Rosé is only the third released on the market of this reserve which is young by birth but already considered an Italian rosé bubbles icon. The Ferrari-style rosé enhances the mountain Pinot Noir, which constitutes 70% of the blend and which, thanks to the ten-year refinement on the lees, blends harmoniously with the Chardonnay, in an elegant and very fine synthesis of the best grapes destined for to the company’s reserves.
Salmon color with coppery reflections and a fine and persistent perlage, the 2008 vintage immediately transmits a vibrant intensity, thanks to its complex olfactory bouquet, in which citrus notes blend with the fruity notes of strawberry and tamarind, spicy hints and mineral notes of iodine and limestone. The taste is structured and powerful and at the same time long and balanced, guided by the red thread of freshness, which is the unmistakable style of the Ferrari house.
We like it because: for all those who love the freshness and minerality of mountain bubbles, but also the structure of rosé, Giulio Ferrari Rosé is almost the perfect bottle, the squaring of the circle that elegantly harmonizes these two worlds. A Trentodoc of great character, which can certainly be the brilliant companion for an entire fish-based dinner; our advice, however, is to be daring and be surprised by more unusual combinations. It will not disappoint you. Dom Pérignon – Rosé Vintage 2006. A myth within a myth, if that is possible. A great wine that comes from grapes coming from some of the most prestigious Grand Cru and Premier Cru of Champagne and that is produced, of course, only in the best vintages. The absolute protagonist, the Pinot Noir which, supported by the inevitable Chardonnay and partially vinified in red, gives this reserve the tannic structure that makes it unique.
More than ten years of aging on the lees ennoble this champagne, which the maison itself defined as “paradoxical” for the balance it manages to achieve between opposite poles: maturity and youth, essentiality and expressiveness.
Vincent Chaperon – Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon since 2019, after many years spent alongside the great Richard Geoffroy – says about the Rosé and the 2006 vintage in particular: «It breaks the rules and certainly shows us a double soul: the tenacious, which comes out thanks to the surprising strength of the still red wine and the graceful and harmonious one that takes us back to the heart of Champagne production. Finding this balance is always a challenge. Making Rosé always throws us into a dangerous situation. Which only with tasting, after a long refinement in the bottle, is it averted “.
We like it because: how could we not like it? We are in the presence of a true masterpiece, which offers a very intense sensory experience. With shellfish and raw seafood it is pure sensuality but the best advice comes from Chaperon who suggests tasting the Rosé Vintage 2006 with an experimental and absolutely free spirit. It should not be forgotten that this champagne also has great aging potential, for those who will be able to wait. Perrier-Jouët – Belle Epoque Rosé 2007.
It is a paradigm when it comes to rosé bubbles because of the harmony and expressiveness that are its distinctive feature and not by chance the Chef de Cave of Perrier-Jouët, Hervé Deschamps, defines «a delicate wine and at the same time rich and voluptuous; intense, generous and vigorous but also of great finesse». The Belle Epoque Rosé is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes from the most renowned Champagne crus, it ages for six years on the lees and is produced, as befits such a prestigious champagne, only in exceptional vintages.
With a very elegant antique pink color and a very fine and creamy perlage, it is a rosé with an extravagant personality, in which floral and fruity aromas are intertwined with citrus, spice and dried fruit notes. On the palate it is fresh and lively but also intense and creamy. Perfect expression of the refined style that has always characterized the Maison.
We like it because: even in this case the reverse would be impossible. Belle Epoque Rosé is a precious champagne that conveys the joyful and vital spirit of that Belle Epoque to which it owes its name and which, also for this reason, offers a sensual and expressive taste experience. It is one of those bottles that should never be missing in an ideal cellar.
And – surprisingly if you think about its complexity – it is a very versatile champagne and by virtue of this it can be the protagonist of different combinations, from the most classic to the most unexpected, which will only enhance that extravagant character we were talking about.
– Editorial Board 10.08.2021