Champagne Larmandier-Bernier "Rose de Saignee" 1er Cru Extra-Brut

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley, march 2021) : 94/100. The NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée (2018 base) will soon be disgorged, and readers will be able to identify it by its deeper, unusually saturated hue without looking at the small print. Bursting with aromas of pear, plums, orange rind and sweet berries, it's medium to full-bodied, round and enveloping, with a ripe core of fruit and the most phenolic presence I've tasted in this perennially superb cuvée. That makes this 2018 base a more vinous, gastronomic wine, which will offer interesting possibilities at the table.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley, sept. 2020) : 93/100. The new rendition of Larmandier-Bernier's NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée has turned out very nicely, unwinding in the glass with aromas of orange rind, red berries, pear, white flowers and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, bright and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit, racy acids and delicate phenolic presence, it's still a little tightly wound—especially compared with last year's especially explosively aromatic release—but it should blossom beautifully in time for summer and beyond. Drink date 2020-2030.