At a dinner that is part of my dear friend Marika Vida-Arnold’s Phenomenal Femmes series at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park, I tasted a slew of great wines from one of my favorite Champagne houses Ruinart, presented by their lovely chef de caves Amélie Chattin. An absolute favorite was the 2002 Dom Ruinart Rosé, for its rich, exotic profile. So I thought I’d write about it in this week’s column for Departures.com.

Looking for something pretty, pink, and sparkling this Valentine’s Day? We’ll be pouring the 2002 Dom Ruinart Rosé, a vintage Champagne from one of the greatest years this region has seen.

Ruinart is a house celebrated for its elegant style with a focus on the Chardonnay grape. The extraordinarily rich and complex 2002 Rosé Champagne, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from top Grand Cru sites, follows this same philosophy while bringing in a portion of Champagne’s great red grape to add structure, power, and of course color to the wine.

Bright, precise, linear characteristics are complemented by a depth of flavors that range from floral to the exotic; notes of dried roses, dates, cedar, and tobacco evoke places as far afield as Cuba and Morocco. Aged for ten years in Ruinart’s cellar, a limited amount is still available in the U.S., so it’s worth grabbing a bottle to share this weekend—or any time over the next 20 years.

2002 Dom Ruinart Rosé, $265 at vinfolio.com.

Photo courtesy Ruinart, via Departures.