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Disgorged in October 2022. Mouzon-Leroux’s sensational rosé is drawn from chalky parcels on the Villers-Marmery side of the village in the lieu-dit of Les Cumaines. Saignée means ‘to bleed’. In winemaking parlance, it means to use the free-run juice, which is drawn off the grape skins before, or shortly after, the start of fermentation. In this case, the grapes (100% Pinot Noir) are allowed to macerate before the juice is drawn off. It is this soak that gives the colour and much of the body and flavour to the wine. Now undergoing a renaissance, this ancient technique was, until recently, extremely rare in Champagne, where most rosé is made by adding a little red wine. The saignée method of vinification is demanding and requires grapes with an excellent degree of maturity.
A single vintage wine (2018 in this case), all the grapes were hand selected and received a short maceration (16 hours) on skins before pressing. Vinified entirely in stainless steel, the wine then spent 30 months on lees before being disgorged with a low 1.5 g/L.
This is so enticing on the nose, pure and pretty with red florals, fruits, and enticing mineral inflections. It sits beautifully on the palate, full and weighty with ripe fruit generosity, some lovely spice and lots of savoury characters layered through with harmony and balance. The finish is bold, vinous and fresh. This will get even better with food; think a plate of charcuterie or anything with plenty of fat or spice.