Deep, blood-orange robe, beneath very fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is complex: crushed strawberries, macerated berries, orange oil, petals, a touch of liquorice and juniper wood that spices up the fruit. The palate is rich and warm, full-bodied, with that delicate structure that only pinot…
THE CUVÉES OF MAISON LAURENT-PERRIER
Deep, blood-orange robe, beneath very fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is complex: crushed strawberries, macerated berries, orange oil, petals, a touch of liquorice and juniper wood that spices up the fruit. The palate is rich and warm, full-bodied, with that delicate structure that only pinot noir maceration can give a champagne; chardonnay from the grands crus lends tension to the whole, and the long finish closes on bitter orange. Ten years in the cellar, 7 g/L: a wine for the table rather than the aperitif, to be served between 10 and 12 °C, which will keep in your cellar until 2038 and beyond.
Alexandra Rosé exists only in years when the grands crus of pinot noir and chardonnay reach maturity at the same time. 2012 is one such year — a difficult year, with winter then spring frosts, hail, and modest yields, saved by a dry, sunny summer that brought the grapes to exceptional ripeness, harvested in perfect sanitary condition. The blend brings together 80% pinot noir from the grands crus of the Montagne de Reims (Ambonnay, Bouzy, Mailly, Verzenay) and 20% chardonnay from the grands crus of the Côte des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger), from a very rigorous selection of named plots. The macerated pinot noirs and the chardonnays ferment together — this joint fermentation is the signature of the cuvée — and the wine then rests for ten years in the cellar. Disgorged in spring 2023, dosed at 7 g/L, delivered in its gift box.
Founded in 1812 in Tours-sur-Marne, Laurent-Perrier owes its name to Eugène Laurent, cellar master turned owner, and to his widow Mathilde-Emilie Perrier, who took over the house in 1887. Marie-Louise de Nonancourt bought it in 1939; her son Bernard, managing director at twenty-eight in 1948, made it one of the great Champagne houses, family-owned and independent, and the birthplace of maceration rosé with Cuvée Rosé in 1968.
Alexandra Rosé bears the first name of Bernard de Nonancourt's daughter: the first vintage, 1982, was presented in 1987 for her wedding. Since then, only ten vintages have been released — the cuvée is produced only when the grands crus of pinot noir and chardonnay ripen together, a condition for their joint fermentation. The 2012, rated 99/100 by James Suckling and 98/100 by Bettane & Desseauve, is the tenth.
The warm richness of the 2012 and its bitter orange finish do to foie gras what a chutney does: fruit and bitterness against the richness.
The house serves it with a sea bass ceviche, raspberry and pomegranate: the raw bass, the wine's red fruit and its acidity pair naturally.
Lamb is the pairing a three-Michelin-star chef suggests for this cuvée on the house's website: the structure of the macerated pinot noir and its power hold up to the rosé-pink meat.
Frédéric M.
Verified customer reviewThe greatest rosé I have ever drunk
Orange-tinged colour, nose of crushed strawberry and orange, rich, almost tannic palate, bitter and long finish. Served with roast lamb, it was exceptional. The copper-coloured box lives up to it.
Caroline L.
Verified customer reviewAn extremely rare vintage rosé
Ten vintages in forty years – you don’t find it everywhere. I bought it for our tenth wedding anniversary: a wine for the table, warm, complex. The bottle arrived perfectly protected.
Pierre-Antoine R.
Verified customer reviewWorthy of its 99/100
I was curious about Suckling’s score. I get it: this is a great wine, not an aperitif rosé. Macerated red fruit, liquorice, enormous length. Keep it another ten years if you have the patience.
