Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé

The latest release of Taittinger's NV Brut Prestige Rosé is showing very well, revealing inviting aromas of red berries, plums, orange zest, crisp orchard fruit and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive, this bottling is based on the Brut Réserve, yet the addition of still red wine—much of which is produced in house—imparts structuring phenolics that complement the wine's generous core of fruit to great effect. Readers should not that this cuvée's clear glass makes it vulnerable to light strike, so it's especially important to buy properly stored bottles.

Deep, bold colour! Smells of sun-dried tomatoes and sweet Hungarian paprika. Fine bubbles and then an orangey sweetness that reminds me a bit of Fanta! Or a red cherry-flavoured lolly dipped into orange sherbet. Is the dosage quite high, I wonder? There are far more sophisticated, complex, elegant rosé sparklings at substantially lower prices.

With a darker color, this is more assertive in the Taittinger way. It has plenty of rich berry fruits, some background biscuits and spices and loads of flesh on the palate. The handy depth, strawberry and wild-cherry flavors and phenolics are all polished and really neatly balanced. Drink now.