Remembering the rather reserved phase in which I had found Pol Roger's 2012 Brut Rosé when I reviewed it in August, I pulled a bottle from my cellar to check in on its evolution. A few months have made a difference, and the wine is more expressive already, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of plums, red berries, blood orange and toasted brioche. On the palate, it's full-bodied, muscular and vinous, with terrific depth and structure at the core, its ripe but racy acids balanced by considerable texture and concentration. While this remains youthfully tight-knit, I'm inclined to think I was very conservative regarding its ultimate potential.

Pol Roger's just-released 2012 Brut Rosé is still a little shy after its recent disgorgement, unwinding in the glass with an inviting bouquet of warm brioche, red berries, tangerine and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with ripe but racy acids, a fleshy core and a long, mouthwatering finish. This is an elegantly muscular vintage rosé from Pol Roger that will really blossom with five or six years in the cellar, though of course it can be appreciated before that.

The 2012 Rosé is an attractive, easygoing Champagne to drink over the next handful of years. Crushed red berry fruit, spice and dried flowers are all nicely laced together. This is an especially understated, restrained wine for the vintage.