NV Taittinger "Prestige Rosé", Champagne, France

ABOUT THE WINE

Prestige Rosé is an assemblage rosé, meaning its distinctive color and red-fruit intensity come from blending still red wine into the Champagne base wine rather than relying solely on skin maceration. Taittinger specifically favors this method for Prestige Rosé, producing its red wines from estate Pinot Noir selections to provide both stable color and aromatic depth.

The blend brings together Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, with the dark-skinned varieties giving the wine structure and generous berry fruit while Chardonnay contributes the freshness and finesse closely associated with the Taittinger house style. The inclusion of still red Pinot Noir is particularly important, lending Prestige Rosé its recognizable raspberry, strawberry, and cherry character as well as its striking pink hue.

After blending, the wine undergoes its second fermentation in bottle according to the traditional Champagne method, followed by maturation on the lees before disgorgement. The result balances youthful red fruit with the subtle creamy and brioche-like complexity developed through bottle aging. As a Brut, it retains enough dosage to round the wine's brisk acidity without obscuring its freshness.

Prestige Rosé is particularly versatile at the table. Serve around 46–50°F (8–10°C) with salmon or tuna tartare, sushi, smoked salmon, charcuterie, duck, lightly spiced Asian dishes, or fresh berry desserts. Its combination of acidity, red fruit, and fine bubbles also makes it an excellent aperitif.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Champagne Taittinger is one of Champagne's great historic family houses. The modern story began in 1932, when Pierre Taittinger acquired the Forest-Fourneaux Champagne house and the Château de la Marquetterie. Successive generations shaped the house's identity, with François Taittinger establishing Chardonnay as a defining element of the Taittinger style and creating Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs in 1952.

Today, Taittinger owns approximately 288 hectares across 37 Champagne crus, one of the region's largest estate holdings. These vineyards span the Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims, and Aube and supply nearly half of the house's grape requirements, giving Taittinger substantial control over its raw material.

Sustainability has become increasingly central to the estate. Taittinger began transitioning its vineyards toward more environmentally responsible farming in 2005, adopting worked soils, controlled grass cover, and farming without herbicides or insecticides. Its vineyards carry HVE and Viticulture Durable en Champagne (VDC) certifications, with biodiversity and reduced inputs forming important parts of the program.

Prestige Rosé captures the more exuberant side of the house while remaining unmistakably Taittinger: refined rather than heavy, driven by freshness, and given added dimension by carefully vinified red Pinot Noir. It is a rosé Champagne built as much for the table as for celebration.