The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Wine Description
The Story
Nicolas Feuillatte’s iconic cuvée, capturing its quintessential style, Palmes d’Or Rosé Intense is only revealed through the prism of the vintage when a truly exceptional harvest year enables its primary qualities to truly shine. A wine defined by time, capable of stirring supreme emotion, offering texture and flavours of great finesse. A rare ‘saignée’ rosé, where some of the red wine juices are ‘bled’ briefly from the skins, this intense, well-structured cuvée champions not only the vintage, but also the intrinsic character of a unique Champagne. A Champagne like no other that transcends the very notion of vintage and embraces eternity. Audacity, sensuality and intensity define this fine, expressive Champagne, with its complex aromas of red fruits and flowers. An iconoclastic cuvée, defying convention and presenting the very best of Champagne, in an extraordinary moment.
A CHAMPAGNE OF UNIQUE CHARACTER
• Rosé de saignée, with its pronounced, sensual colour.
• Remains in the cellars for almost a decade.
• 100% Pinot Noir from two cru vineyards; delicately spicy Grand Cru grapes from Bouzy allied with the intense fruitladen quality of Riceys.
• Tremendous ageing potential. supreme emotion, offering texture and flavours of great finesse.
Vintage 2003
A challenging vintage for Champagne in the face of an unprecedented heatwave during the summer months. The wines are characterised by the year's unusual circumstances. Large-scale frosts destroyed most of the projected yield and they were followed by hail and an extremely hot summer. Harvest was kick-started early on August 21st and yields remained minuscule at 8,100 kg/ha. Atypically round, ripe, sun-kissed wines that miss freshness and backbone. The total acidity level was notably low, at 5.8 g/l. Only the very best performers were able to avoid heaviness and overripe aromatics. This vintage was not largely declared but some famous names, Krug and Dom Pérignon at the fore, chose to experiment with it. Both produced excellent 2003s and Dom Pérignon's chef de cave at the time named the vintage as one of the creations he is most proud of. Some special cuvées surfaced, such as 2003 by Bollinger, as the house found the year did not stylistically fit into the La Grande Année range. Palmer & Co also took a curious route and made its 2003 only in magnum, releasing it much later than usual as cuvée Grands Terroirs. The ageing capacity of 2003 is much debated. Dom Pérignon's Richard Geoffroy had great confidence in his 2003 and he actually regretted releasing it too early. The jury is still out, but personally I am inclined to drink mine sooner rather than later, as the advancement post-disgorgement has in most cases been rather rapid and the wines miss the acidic backbone necessary for retaining freshness.