The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Aug 30, 2019

Offering up attractive aromas of blood orange, red berries, peach, orchard fruit and brioche, Henriot's just-released 2012 Brut Rose Millesime is medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with fine concentration, ripe but racy acids, a delicate mousse and a long, saline finish. This is one of the more intense, vinous wines to emerge from Henriot in some time, and it's very promising. 
Drink Date: 2019 - 2033

Winemaker

The delicious experience of a fine, Rose Vintage. Freshness and maturity in perfect harmony through the prism of a unique vintage.

THE 2012 HARVEST YEAR

2012 combines low yields, mainly due to frequent and devastating frost, with exceptionally high quality. Ripeness and acidity are perfectly balanced soul mates. It is rare to witness such an intimite bond between the distinctive stamp of a harvest year and the expression of a certain style.

THE ART OF BLENDING

It takes fruit of pristine quality to create the precise and pure structure which will form the cornerstone of intense and rich aromatic expression. This pledge carries with it the promise of long, bountiful ageing, gently lulled and polished by the passage of time.

More than any other, Rose Champagne is a wine of great emotion: by virtue of its unique blend, and its distinctive colour, which seems to encapsulate joy itself. We are captivated by its immediate charm before delving into its hidden depths. Laurent Fresnet refers to it as a principle rather than a provocation. For Henriot, the colour is not important in the creation of rose wine, while well-balanced organoleptic structure is essential. While red wine accounts for less than 10% of the blend, it is nevertheless essential; it takes exceptionally ripe pinot noir grapes to express the essence and exquisite succulence of the fruit. It is the role of this red wine to reveal this red and black berry fruit dimension.

THE SENSES

The Ros? Vintage 2012 presents shades of coral, is vivid rather than pale, and is both elegant and intensely fl avoured. The colour makes its vibrant, potent presence felt, only disturbed by the bright refl ections in the glass. A gossamer string of bubbles takes form and reveals its delicate foaming mousse.

On the nose, delicate fruit-laden notes underscore a fresh, striking minerally streak.

On the palate, the texture comes through in the piercing aromas and mellow softness of wild and gariguette strawberries. The rich ripeness of the fruit is joyously on point, presenting a vast spectrum of aromas and bracing freshness, underpinned by perfectly balanced complex structure. The flavours are consistent and linger on the palate as they whet the appetite, accompanied by a creamy edge so typical of the Henriot style. The aromas show all the potential to transform over time, and err towards slightly tropical notes of orange at the end of the palate. In years to come, more delicately toasted notes will come to the fore, as the mineral character and vivid ripeness temper over time.

The pleasure is palpable, full-flavoured and bursting with light.

SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS: Best served at 8C.

Perfect for those impromptu pre-meal moments, to accompany the last embers of sunlight in its coral reflections. The ultimate Champagne to stimulate both mind and palate before a meal, it would also make a welcome guest at the most joyous tables, to accompany rare veal medallions or simply poached turbot