Rosé Champagne for summer drinking
In his book, The Pleasures of Life, Sir John Lubbock wrote this. “Rest is not idleness, and to sometimes lie on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time,” To which I add, “especially with a bottle of Rosé Champagne and two glasses. And not just in summer, but all year round!”
The popularity of Rosé Champagne has fluctuated ever since Veuve Clicquot made the first one. After all, pink fizz symbolises decadence, hedonism, and romance. Once, the majority of Champagne producers didn’t make it, and it was not even made by all the big names. This has changed, and nowadays, Rosé Champagne accounts for a valuable 10% of the total Champagne market.
Hence, since the early noughties, it has become an essential part of nearly every Champagne House range, and competition is fierce.
Rosé Champagne may be quintessential summer drinking, but these days there is sufficient diversity for it to make a good choice all year round. It’s now especially popular at Christmas and New Year. Hence, this piece, originally written and published in summer 2017, is republished here with the festive season of 2025 uppermost in mind.
Hence, there are updated prices and stockists for December 2025. The stockists listed are indicative, as some of the big brands are widely available. Prices were correct at the time of republication, but always look out for offers and seasonal discounts.
Rosé Champagne varies in quality.
However, Rosé Champagne, though a diverse category, also varies widely in quality. Too often, it’s just foam, dull wines tasting like they are an afterthought. Thankfully there are brilliant examples, and this category continues to improve.
Making great Rosé Champagne is somewhat different from other Champagne styles, as it uses the colour from the authorised black grape varieties, in other words, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Making Rosé Champagne needs extra steps in the process, and this presents other winemaking challenges. Rosé Champagne usually blends red and white base wines. Most producers use a small portion of Pinot Noir to make still red wine. It’s added to the white base wines before the second fermentation in the bottle.
However, the other way to achieve pinkness is with brief skin contact with the Pinot grapes. This method is known as saignée. It makes a pale pink juice which is harder to control consistently, as the colour will vary each vintage. Either method can make excellent or mediocre wine.
Not every house has the quality Pinot juice necessary unless bought on the open market. Dealing with red wine is also a different viticultural and winemaking proposition. It needs additional equipment, knowledge and skills. Also, the red wine component will contain tannins and pigments from the grape skins. And finally, it requires different fermentation, maturation and dosage.
The colour factor
The desire is to obtain a pink colour, texture and additional flavours. A harsh or disjointed wine may result. It’s undoubtedly insufficient to take the usual House NV blend and add some red wine!
Different Houses also use different proportions of Pinot. Some are 100% Pinot. Others include a majority portion of Chardonnay to retain elegance and finesse.
Another critical factor is colour. Rosé Champagne ranges from delicate onion-skin through salmon to dark pink. The familiar flavours are red berries. Some would be hard to distinguish from their white counterparts if not for the colour. In addition, styles can range from delicate and nuanced all the way to muscular and powerful. Most are Brut NV, though there are vintage and prestige wines as well. No wonder Rosé Champagne varies so widely.
But it’s not just variation in style, flavour or colour but in quality. Furthermore, Champagne is a luxury, yet some Rosé wines are rustic, with oxidative notes or overt tannins. Some wines even had an unattractive colour, hardly a good thing in a Rosé! Even some prestigious makers show that their Rosé is a far less attractive proposition than their white Champagne. And it’s more expensive!
Despite this, there are some lovely examples, including good value wines. Consequently, here I share my personal top ten.
My Top Ten Rosé Champagnes
Billecart-Salmon, Brut Rosé, NV
For me, this is the benchmark, always the one to beat. Equal parts Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. 8-10% still red wine added. Beautiful pale orangey-pink, brioche and jasmine-scented, lovely bramble fruits and citrus. Chalky, nutty finish. Outstanding balance and finesse. Romance in a glass. Uncorked, £73.99. There’s more about Billecart-Salmon here.
Charles Heidsieck, Rosé Réserve, NV
Equal thirds Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. 33% of reserve wines used. 6% added still red wine—dark pink. Full palate, strawberry shortcake with maybe a little gunpowder and gingerbread. Outstanding. WoodWinters £53.00.
Devaux, D de Devaux, Le Rosé. Brut, NV
10% Pinot Noir, 90% Chardonnay. Racy. Delicate colour, filigreed citrus nose. Silky textured fruit, mineral freshness. A little toast but not a leesy style. Low sulphur, low dosage. It goes for a lightness of touch and gets it spot on. Hic! £60.00. More from Devaux here.
Drappier, Rosé de Saignée, Brut NV
100% Pinot Noir, saignée méthode. Boudoir Pink. Floral, violets on the nose, creamy palate. Strawberry and cherry fruit. It’s like sparkling Burgundy. Oakham Wines £45.55.
Lanson, Le Rosé Brut NV
53% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier and 32% Chardonnay. Lovely orange-pink. Bone dry, made in their high-acid style, so very fresh. Worth keeping a year or two to improve and fill out. Subtle, etched quality to the wild-berry fruit. Majestic £40.00. More Lanson here
Perrier-Jouët, Blason Rosé, Brut NV
50% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier and 35% Chardonnay. Perfect mid-pink colour, with copper glints. Fresh, great balance, full-bodied. Pomegranate mixed with strawberries. Very stylish and a bargain. Liquor Library £54.99
Pol Roger, Brut Rosé, Vintage 2018
65% Pinot Noir, and 35% Chardonnay. 15% still red wine is added. Dark salmon colour, tastes of summer pudding. Soft, creamy and great finesse. Has aged gracefully and is made with great care. A beautiful wine. 1823 Cellar £63.80
Thienot, Rosé, Brut NV
45% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 35% Chardonnay. 7% added still red wine. 45% is reserve wines from previous vintages. Salmon Pink, lighter style yet a big mouthful of red cherries and currants. A bargain and worth seeking out, as is the rest of their range. Champagne One £49.95
Laurent-Perrier, Cuvée Rosé, Brut NV
100% Pinot Noir, using the saignée method. Rose scented. Powerfully Pinot, with little in the way of yeasty notes. Intensity. Avery’s, Bristol, £59.99.
Veuve Clicquot, Rosé, Brut NV.
48% Pinot Noir, 22% Pinot Meunier, and 30% Chardonnay. 12% still red wine added. 40% of reserve wines used. Attractive copper-orange colour. High acid style. Pastry notes underpin red berry fruit. Excellent balance. Waitrose Cellar, £49.00
And finally
Choose any of these for a luxurious time! Food-wise, yes to summer picnics, but Boxing Day cold cuts are perfect too! Plus, our tradition is to have a bottle of Rosé Champagne ready for the opening of gifts, a special time further enhanced by Carols from Kings on the TV.
Meanwhile, if you want to explore other styles of Champagne, then take a look at my piece about Champagne Styles.
And if you like Rosé still wines, then here are ten to try out.