Rosé (rō-zayʹ) n, a pink table wine in which the pale color is produced by removing the grape skins from the must before fermentation is completed.

Brut (brõõt) Fr. adj, very dry (to describe wine, especially Champagne).

Okay, there you have it. Richard Grant's new sparkling wine, produced primarily from Wrotham clone Pinot Noir (with a little Chardonnay blended in before the bottle fermentation). It's called Cuvèe Rosé Brut. It is a blend of three different vintage wines, each one unique in its own way. The total blend averages more than three years on the yeast and each of the component wines brings something different to the blend. Together, they form an altogether pleasing beverage which I hope you will enjoy with your best friend.

The color is a delicate pink, slightly less peachy-pink than the Richard Grant single vintage Wrotham Sparkling Blanc de Noir wines of 2000 through 2004. The flavor is fruity and a little more forward, with a definite “crispness” compared to earlier Sparkling wines I’ve made. Tasters describe the fruit flavor as “grapefruit and apple, with a berry-like and slightly spicey aftertaste.”

Cuvee Rose Brut Sparkling Wine is a refreshing addition to the R.G. line of Sparkling Wines.

My wife Sandra and I have enjoyed this wine with just about every type of food there is, but I can’t tell you that we agree perfectly on which food is the best match. She often prefers delicate fish dishes while I remain a dyed in the wool Chocolate dessert fan. You can visualize the problem: she wants to eat slowly to enjoy the Cuvèe with her entré, while I have to eat faster to be sure there’s enough wine left to enjoy with dessert. Oh, well...

In looking for new ways to exploit the ever-changing nature of Pinot Noir, I wondered how the Wrotham clone would react to blending various vintages together and even blending with other Burgundian grape varieties. All my previous wines have used 100% Wrotham Pinot Noir grown only in a single vintage. We have avoided blending with with other grape varieties because I wanted to concentrate on the unique personality of the Wrotham clone.

Recent experience of Champagne producers in France has suggested that we might expect to produce new and exciting wines by blending different vintages together as well as by blending with small amounts of other varieties like Chardonnay for Sparkling Wines. Well, maybe and maybe not, we'll just have to try it and see.

Don't worry, I'm always drawn to using 100% Methode Champenoise for making Richard Grant Sparkling wines and we don't plan to change that. Methode Champenoise wines aren't cheap, but discriminating customers are willing to pay more for what is universally accepted as "better" wine. In creating this Cuvèe, we wanted to produce the best wine possible for the price. I knew that blending produces different personalities in wines but did not know exactly which varieties would go best with Wrotham. This Cuvèe is the first one I've chosen -- Wrotham Pinot dominates, but the cautious addition of a little Chardonnay gives added crispness. Complexity was gained by combining three vintages together.

To my taste, every component of the blend brings something to the mix that elevates the others. You'll have to tell us whether the blend I've chosen was a good idea or not. The good news is that blending more than one vintage together saves money. Blending bottle fermented vintages together by machine avoids the hand work of individual disgorging (one bottle at a time). That means the cost of finishing and labeling is much lower and I'm passing the savings on to you. Retail price is usually just under $20.

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