Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée Premier Cru NV

‘2017 vintage, disgorged in October 2019. Saignée literally means ‘to bleed’. In winemaking parlance it means to draw the free-run juice of a grape off the grape skins typically prior to, or shortly after, the start of fermentation. In this case, the grapes (100% Pinot Noir) are allowed to macerate for several days before the juice is drawn off and it is this ‘soak’ that gives the colour and much of the body and flavour to the wine. This technique is now extremely rare in Champagne–it is a demanding method of vinification that requires grapes with an excellent degree of maturity. Hence most rosé (in Champagne) is made by the addition of a little red wine. Vive la difference!

Cut from the same cloth as previous releases, the 2017 vintage bottling is drawn entirely from what is thought to be the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Vertus, and one of the very last 100% Pinot vineyards. As with all of Larmandier’s wines it’s naturally fermented. Larmandier raises part of this cuvée in a Nomblot concrete egg and partly in stainless steel (and more recently he has been trialling amphora as well). It’s one of Champagne’s wow wines–a wine repeatedly compared to a Chambolle-Musigny; a wine that can stop drinkers in their tracks.’ – Importer’s note