Highlights: Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis Rosé 2008 France
Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis Rosé 2008 France
12.5% alcohol. This is 63% Chardonnay and 37% Pinot Noir, disgorged in January 2023 with 8 g/l dosage. This is a special edition – 2008 Paradis was released in 2017, but this has had extra time on lees, released as part of the 160th anniversary celebrations. Notably, the second fermentation here is under cork, not crown cap. This is a full salmon pink with an orange hue. It’s a beautifully complex wine, with savoury, spicy orange peel, cedar, dried herbs, pear and apricot fruit, as well as some sour cherry. There’s a lot of richness, with toast and spice, but also a nice fresh citrus drive, with real complexity and energy, as well as a bit of grip. The dosage covers the high acidity without smoothing things out too much. The finish is long and spice-laden. This is a remarkable wine: I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be this good, but it’s serious, gastronomic and really complex, up with the best rosé Champagnes from all the famous names. 95/100
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