n.v. Bruno Paillard, Brut Rosé, Premiere Cuvée Champagne, France.
The beautiful coppery salmon hued Bruno Paillard Rosé Premiere Cuvée Champagne is an opulent and with a extremely fine beading mousse, it delivers a lovely and complex palate of delicate citrus, sour cherry, strawberry and tangy red currant fruits, as well as yeasty hazelnut richness, bread dough, wet stones, subtle violet florals and clove spice. This Rosé Premiere Cuvée, which was 3 years on the yeast, was slowly cool fermented with a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and a base of multiple vintages, and I believe this disgorgement, July 2025, saw mainly 2022, in a combination of barrels and stainless vats and with a low dosage, to keep things dry, poised and focused, while also being luxurious, generous and elegant. I’ve had this bottling a few times this year and it has performed beyond expectations each time.
Again, it was a thrill to taste through the latest disgorgements of the Bruno Paillard lineup, including the Premiere Cuvée, the beautiful Blanc de Noirs, which saw three years on the lees, and (my favorite) the tension filled and extremely dry Zero Dosage bottling, along with this Premiere Cuvée Rosé, as well as the special, very limited 2009 vintage “Nec Plus Ultra” Extra Brut. Champagne Bruno Paillard, with their Réserve Perpétuelle, that dates back 40 years to 1985, is a true enthusiast producer and an insiders choice Champagne house, that focuses on terroirs and structure, with a selection of prime parcels around Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, Verzenay, Mailly-Champagne and the famous Bouzy, legendary for Pinot Noir. There’s so much to like here with Bruno Paillard, I highly recommend enjoying these gorgeous Champagnes at your next celebration, but always with a meal, where they really excel.
($89 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive