Champagne Odyssée 319 Rosé Brut Grand Cru NV

For this rosé, Olivier Bonville and Ferdinand Ruelle sought inspiration from a fellow vintner in Champagne – and perennial Last Bubbles’ favorite – Pierre Déthune. Pierre and his wife, Sophie, run the iconic Ambonnay grower-producer, Champagne Paul Déthune. Ambonnay, of course, lies in the Montagne de Reims, some ten miles northwest of the Bonville winery in Avize, in the Côte des Blancs. Here, Pinot Noir is the prized grape, and Olivier appreciated the overall lightness of Pierre’s Pinots, as well as the intensity of their fruit flavors. A round of handshakes later – Olivier had secured a Pinot Noir to give his rosé its color!

The final blend here is 90% Chardonnay from the Grand Cru of Avize, alongside the 10% Pinot Noir from Déthune’s holdings in the Grand Cru of Ambonnay. A Brut dosage is added following aging on the lees, along with just enough still Pinot Noir to impact the flavor and color profile.

The wine’s delicate salmon hue belies the intensity that is soon to follow. Bright and boisterous fruit notes of cherries and raspberries, with alluring scents of rose petals, followed by a mouthful of toasty brioche, pear jam, cherries jubilee, and cinnamon red hots – this is a full, spicy, and profound Rosé Champagne. The mouthfeel is rich, soft, and creamy, with a delicate and elegant finish of white strawberries and a pop of river rock freshness. Tasty stuff indeed, and if you’re a fan of other, more well-known rosés (the long, hyphenated name kind that has that wonky bottle shape and a $90+ price tag), you’d be smartly served by snagging a six-pack of this under $50 beauty. More pop for the buck, I’d say, so you can freely and magnanimously open a second bottle without a moment’s pause!