Rosé champagne

Rosé champagne is made in two ways: by blending or by maceration. The specification of the AOC Champagne mentions both explicitly. The base wines for rosé may come from direct pressing, from maceration or saignée, or from a blend of white and red wine before bottling.

With assemblage, the producer, according to the Comité Champagne, adds roughly 5 to 20 percent red Champagne wine to the white base wines. With maceration, the juice of black grapes stays on the skins for some time, so that it takes up colour. After that, both methods follow the same route: second fermentation in the bottle and ageing on the lees.

Because European rules in principle do not allow white and red wine to be blended into rosé. According to Article 8 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934, a white wine without a protected designation of origin may not be blended with a red wine to make rosé.

There is an exception to that rule: it does not apply when the end product is intended for a sparkling wine cuvée. Champagne falls under that. The Champagne specification therefore expressly allows the blending of white and red wine before the tirage. For still wine without a protected designation of origin, that practice remains prohibited within the EU.

The difference lies in how long the grapes soak on the skins. The Comité Champagne describes macerated rosé as rosé in which the juice of black grapes stays in contact with the skins for about 36 hours. With rosé de saignée that soaking time is shorter, between 8 and 12 hours.

With both methods the colour comes straight from the grape, with no red wine involved. The juice of blue grapes is in fact white; it only takes on colour through contact with the skin. That is where it differs from blending, in which the colour comes from red champagne wine that the maker adds to the white base wines before the tirage.

Rosé champagne uses the same grapes as all champagne. The specification names Pinot noir, Meunier and Chardonnay as the main varieties, alongside Arbane, Petit meslier, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris and Chardonnay rose. According to the Comité Champagne, Pinot noir covers 38 percent of the vineyards, Chardonnay 31 percent and Meunier 31 percent. The other varieties together reach no more than 0.3 percent.

For the colour, the black grapes, Pinot noir and Meunier, are what matter: they supply the red wine for the blend or the juice for the maceration. Chardonnay can take part in the blend as a white grape: according to Moët & Chandon, the Rosé Impérial consists of 10 to 20 percent Chardonnay, alongside Pinot noir and Meunier.

These terms indicate how much sugar the champagne contains after the dosage, the final addition before the bottle is sealed. The Comité Champagne uses these limits:

• Brut nature (pas dosé, dosage zéro): less than 3 grams per litre
• Extra brut: less than 6 grams per litre
• Brut: less than 12 grams per litre
• Extra dry: 12 to 17 grams per litre
• Sec: 17 to 32 grams per litre
• Demi-sec: 32 to 50 grams per liter
• Doux: more than 50 grams per litre

An Ice champagne is a cuvée that the producer makes to be served over ice. According to the house, Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial Rosé has a dosage of 38 grams per litre and therefore falls into the demi-sec category.

At ’t Bockje there is rosé champagne from several French houses. Among others you will find Veuve Clicquot Rosé, also in the Veuve Clicquot Champagne rosé cooler, a pack that doubles as a cool bag. Also on the shelf are Ayala Champagne Rosé, Bollinger Rosé in gift box, Deutz Rosé Brut, Ernest Rapeneau Champagne Rosé Brut and Lanson Le Rosé.

From Moët & Chandon there are the Rosé Impérial, a brut, and the Ice Rosé, meant to be served over ice. Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage is also in the shop. Would you like to know which bottle suits your occasion? Drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen or call 0570 541 278.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.