Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose 2004

Broad on the palate, though well-knit and svelte overall, with seamless integration of the firm acidity, structuring flavors of smoke, poached plum, creamed almond, piecrust and lemon curd. Features a graceful, mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2025.

This has a toasty edge that complements the ripe red fruit and attractive lemon and yeast character. It seems to be well on its way to maturity, retaining a fruity style while its flavors are beginning to dig deeper.

Clicquot's 2004 Brut Rose La Grande Dame - which incorporates 39% Chardonnay with its Pinot - is pale salmon in color, its tangy and vivacious alliance of fresh red currant, fraise du bois and grapefruit with mouthwatering maritime salinity - amid stimulatingly fine-grained tannin - making for persistently savory satisfaction. The balance of refreshment and levity with fine-grained, almost silken texture and the entirely supportive nature of its subtle sweetness add to this Grande Dame's irresistibility today, though I anticipate deeper flavors accumulating over the next couple of years in bottle.