Louis Roederer Champagne Blend Champagne Cristal Brut Rosé 2006

Firm and tightly wound, this seems more like a rsquo;96 than a rsquo;95, without the superripe fruit. Spice, citrus and berry aromas and flavors permeate the refined texture. Crisp finish. Austere, but has length. Drink now through 2008.

Buttercream, soft caramel and toasted bread are backed by strawberry and cranberry on the nose and palate. This is well-balanced, with crisp acidity and smooth, lightweight mouthfeel. Exceptionally crafted to a state of simple elegance, this illustrates the meaning of aged roseacute; Champagne. A grand pour now that should hold its place for years to come.

The color of this wine, a shade between apricot and nectarine, ignores any convention for roseacute; Champagne and seeks out its own beauty. The wine itself transcends formal boundaries as well. It has the fineness of the bubbles and the perfectly integrated refinement of flavor that comes in a great Champagne, but here, therersquo;s a Burgundy underneath, a Vosne-Romaneacute;e that died and went to heaven. Therersquo;s the insubstantial delicacy if you want to pour it as an aperitif, the trans-substantial power if you choose to serve it with sweetbreads.

Very pale rose-gold color. Singular nose hints at wild strawberry, raspberry and toast, along with exotic hints of mango and pineapple. Very dry and elegant, but with extraordinary intensity of flavor and incipient creaminess. An extremely young wine with the material and structure to develop for another 15 years or more. A great roseacute;.