Île Sur Le Nil

Rosé de Saignée 100% Pinot Meunier

Coteaux south of Epernay
Prevalently limestone-clay soil; the harvest is done by hand, grape by grape and only the best are chosen. The grapes selected are then placed in barrique in contact with the skins for a constantly monitored period to extract the colour and certain important nuances from them, only as long as is required to obtain this special Champagne. A few minutes more or less would compromise the harvest.

Takes place entirely in French oak barrique.

Yes

48 months on the yeasts

3 gr/l

12%

6-7°C

Appearance: intense, bright but almost impenetrable ruby red. A colour which is more common to still rosé wines than to Champagnes. One-of-a-kind, unique, precious. An extremely fine perlage which generates plays of light and reflections of incomparable beauty within this fascinating colour as they rise to the surface.
Bouquet: a dense, attractive, full nose. It is red fruit such as cherries and red berries, both fresh and preserved, which prevails alongside spicy wood notes which echo cinnamon and white pepper. It is an all-encompassing, mysterious aroma worthy of lengthy consideration before you taste this special wine.
Palate: one of the very small number of Champagnes which need to be decanted before serving (see side note for a description of the correct technique to use). A storm of flavours which disorientate and are difficult to distinguish. A constant sequence of primary, secondary and tertiary sensations which alternate with no order or precise sequence. We pass from pink rose floral nuances to more complex notes of aniseed, candied peel, cooked sugar and yeasted bread. Without forgetting about its woody, charred and smoky notes. A salty finish with thrilling echoes of flint, tobacco and leather. A highly sophisticated wine which will keep you hostage until the last drop.

It is difficult to match if you think of it ‘simply’ as a Champagne. It needs powerful sensations and sophisticated and well trained palates. Like the great red wines it prefers foods with powerful flavours and aromas and is ideal with full flavoured meats, wonderful with salt cod and extraordinary with complex, pungent cheese, including blue cheeses, whose strong flavours it does not shy away from. It is a perfect meditation companion, unforgettable with a cigar and a square of extra dark bitter chocolate.

In contrast to many red wines, Champagne is not decanted to separate the liquid part of the wine from the solid lees which accumulate on the bottom of the bottle over time. Even considerable aged Champagnes must never have even the minimum suspended particles in their liquid part nor must they be cloudy. At most they may have light, intangible silky waves resulting from certain production philosophies. Decanting this particular Champagne thus serves to oxygenate it so that its breadth, aromas and silky effervescence can show itself in an even more complete and all-encompassing form, further highlighting the sophistication of the wine. Decanters or carafes must be put in the fridge, empty, to cool them down. They then need to be rinsed out with a small amount of Champagne. This contributes to reducing foam formation. The container must be tilted slightly and the Champagne poured in very slowly down the side. If foam does form stop immediately and let the bubbles stabilise. This could take a few minutes. Once all the Champagne has been poured in, it must absolutely not be rotated because pouring it along the walls of the decanter is sufficient to raise the temperature just that little bit and create an internal vortex capable of freeing its best concealed aromas. Decanting a Champagne is much less simple than it might appear. If it is not done properly, the carbon dioxide in it can create lots of foam which can ruin the Champagne’s perlage. It is important to use a tall thin decanter or carafe rather than a short, wide one like those used for the great red wines. You must also remember to prepare an ice bucket for the decanter with the Champagne in it to avoid it heating up.