Henriot Champagne Brut Rose Millesime 2012 750ml

The Rosé Vintage 2012 presents shades of coral, is vivid rather than pale, and is both elegant and intensely flavored. The color makes its vibrant, potent presence felt, only disturbed by the bright reflections in the glass. A gossamer string of bubbles takes form and reveals its delicate foaming mousse. On the nose, delicate fruit-laden notes underscore a fresh, striking minerally streak. On the palate, the texture comes through in the piercing aromas and mellow softness of wild and gariguette strawberries.

The rich ripeness of the fruit is joyously on point, presenting a vast spectrum of aromas and bracing freshness, underpinned by perfectly balanced complex structure. The flavors are consistent and linger on the palate as they whet the appetite, accompanied by a creamy edge so typical of the Henriot style. The aromas show all the potential to transform over time and err towards slightly tropical notes of orange at the end of the palate.

97 Points Decanter: Aromas of smoke and raspberry cede to a delightful mousse on the palate, with brisk acidity propelling complex notes of pear, melon and brioche. Impressively long, this never wavers in its elegance.

93 Points Wine Spectator: An elegant rosé Champagne, layering flavors of ripe cherry, blood orange sorbet and orchard blossom on the delicate, finely detailed mousse, with lightly mouthwatering acidity and a zesty underpinning lending focus through to the lightly spiced finish. Drink now through 2027. 400 cases imported.

93 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Offering up attractive aromas of blood orange, red berries, peach, orchard fruit and brioche, Henriot's just-released 2012 Brut Rosé Millésimé is medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with fine concentration, ripe but racy acids, a delicate mousse and a long, saline finish. This is one of the more intense, vinous wines to emerge from Henriot in some time, and it's very promising.

93 Points James Suckling: Aromas of sliced ripe strawberries with pomegranate. Some granite and earth, too. Full-bodied and very vinous with firmness to the texture and fine bubbles. Mushroom, berry and earth in the aftertaste with some citrus fruit. Very vinous. Pinot noir and chardonnay.

92 Points Wine & Spirits: This blend of 55 percent pinot noir with chardonnay gets its deep pink-rose color from an addition of 10 percent red wine; all of the fruit comes from either premier or grand cru sites. It’s elegant, vinous and dry, with some tannic austerity from the pinot noir that brings to mind crushed flower petals. There’s yeasty richness to balance that austerity, filling out the flavors and suggesting it will age well.