Vilmart & Cie Emotion 2014

Grape Makeup:

60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

Sweetness Level:

Brut

Ageing on Lees:

5 years

Price:

$$$

Cellar:

5-10 years

Category:

Culinary

What

A cult producer, founded in 1890, and now a small house leading the way in organic and sustainable agriculture.

Where

Rilly-la-Montagne, Montagne de Reims, where most of the estate’s 11 hectares are found.

Why

While the stereotype of rosé champagne is that it is just white champagne with a dash of pink colour, Emotion is a gutsy, personality-filled rosé with a sophisticated, brooding edge; the layers come from macerated pinot grapes blended with chardonnay from 60 year-old vines in the Premier Cru Rilly-la-Montagne. The blend then ages in 228-litre oak barrels for 10 months before the second fermentation, but avoids malolactic conversion in order to hang onto its delightful red berry fruit.

What Else

The Coeur de Cuvée, one of my go-to luxe recommendations for all drinkers, be they classicists, enthused novices or grower fanatics, is a sensory delight in the muscular 2015 vintage, with a citrus leaf edge brightening its delicate nose and offsetting the luscious meyer lemon and tropical fruit of the palate.

Tasting Notes

There is a refined richness to the nose, like an amaro cocktail with bitter orange, maraschino cherry, quinine and cacao nibs. Very dark, sultry and enticing, this shows a similar richness of fragrance on the palate but with enough acidity to freshen it and without that much breadth. This becomes especially clear on the midpalate as the phenolics pick up dramatically, becoming quite chewy and long, while the acidity really brightens. With great structure and potent aromas that are neither obvious nor cloying, this is true excellence in rosé.

Try It With

Italian dishes involving tomatoes, other umami rich ingredients like Parmigiano and/or bitter greens.

When To Drink

Apéritif or main course.

Perfect For

The negroni drinker.

TL/DR

Amaro, fragrant and sophisticated.

Supplier

Champagne Asia