It's a good thing to have a little Champagne every weekend. Keeps the joints loose and the mind balanced. It's also a very good thing to have very good Champagne, which I was fortunate enough to do this past weekend.

Now, I love a good rosé Champagne--who doesn't?--but I can't say that I will immediately roll over at the sight of one. Too many are sweet or excessively fruity, emphasizing "pinkness" in all its connotations, while deemphasizing the finesse, crispness and clarity that make great Champagne great.



I was very impressed with the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne rosé 2002. It's definitely a major splurge bottle, but the wine was just irresistibly delicious. With a powerful nose of strawberries, raspberries and ripe red currants, the wine was fresh and energetic in the mouth, carrying all those lovely flavors through to a long finish. It was perfectly balanced between sweet fruit and dry seriousness—really one of the most tasty rosés I've had in a long time.

I see that Premier Cru in Emeryville has it for the very impressive price of $125 a bottle. Like I said, not cheap, but it's guaranteed to make someone very happy.