Laurent Perrier Grande Cuvee Alexandra Rose 2012 (750ML)

Only ten vintages of Grande Cuvée Alexandra Rosé have been made since the first in 1982, and 2012 is the tenth. Laurent-Perrier makes it only when the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay harvests coincide, because the two grapes are macerated together: 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay sit in the press for 24 to 48 hours, taking on a deep copper-pink color entirely by maceration. The nose is generous and fragrant, with strawberry, kirsch, rose and a touch of forest floor, while the palate has the precise, lively build the house is known for. Blood orange, ripening plum, cinnamon and dried apricot follow, with a savory, faintly gamey edge and a fine, soft bead. Reviewers place its best drinking from now into the late 2030s. Its savory side makes it a food wine: salmon en croûte, veal with morels, or aged Comté.