TASTE
Drappier’s top rosé has a beautiful wild-salmon colour and ultra-fine bubbles. The nose shows appetising biscuity aromas with impressive savoury depth, and then the palate sings with strawberry and gooseberry fruit, managing the rare feat of being simultaneously delicate and mouth- filling, finishing with perfect poise.
FOOD PAIRING
Pork, Rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), Shellfish, Mild and soft cheese
PRODUCER
For one of Champagne’s most forward-thinking producers, Drappier has no shortage of historic roots. An eighth-generation family business, the house was founded in 1808, and occupies magnificent twelfth-century cellars built by Cistercian monks. Having spearheaded the revival of Pinot Noir in the region, in the 1930s, Drappier continued to innovate. Rosé in a clear bottle was introduced in 1968; extremely low levels of sulphur are used, and there is even a no-added-sulphur cuvée made; the liqueur d’expédition is matured for over fifteen years in oak and demi-johns; and Drappier is the only house to ferment every format, from half-bottles up to the gigantic 30-litre Melchisédech, in the bottle in which it is sold.
VINEYARD
This is a single-vineyard wine, taking its name from a parcel of land covered in cinders (cendrée) after the fire which ravaged Urville in 1838. The soils are particularly light and chalky, and represent the pinnacle of Drappier’s vineyard holdings. Viticulture is close to organic, with horse- drawn ploughing, cover crops and natural fertiliser used.
WINERY
This is a rosé de saignée, in which the juice was left on skins for three days, then transferred to fresh tanks by gravity. After a natural settling, the alcoholic fermentation took place over two weeks at a low temperature, followed by natural malolactic fermentation for the Pinot Noir. Five percent of the wine was matured in oak barrels for eight months, and the blend then bottled without filtration, before spending at least six years on lees before disgorgement. Minimal sulphur was used during the production.