Rosé de Macération a Bouzy (d2023) - NV
Benoît Lahaye
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims » Bouzy
- Type
- rose traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Benoît Lahaye
- Vintage
- NV
- Disgorged
- 2023-11
- On lees
- N/A
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 2.3
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- 1 bottles
Rosé de Macération is 100% Pinot Noir from Les Juliennes, a vineyard located on the terres blanches (white soils) in Bouzy on the border with Tauxières, planted in 1973. Whole cluster maceration for 2 to 3 days, then direct pressing of the grapes. The still wine is racked once and not filtered before its secondary fermentation.
Ratings
This rosé stands out as a season favourite, skillfully blending notes of barberry candy, red currant, caramel, red apple skin, and red flowers. Its complexity and multilayered character are matched by freshness, body, and length, making it a wine one would be delighted to enjoy repeatedly.
Enjoying this wine again brings the same pleasure as before. It features an inviting blend of barberry candy, red currant, caramel, red apple, and red flowers. The wine's complexity is matched by its freshness and flavourfulness. It's relatively intense yet well-balanced, leaving a long and flavourful aftertaste. Revisiting this wine confirms its consistent quality and delightful character.
Following our exceptional Super Tuscan wine tasting, we found ourselves eager to debrief and discuss our impressions over "something" sparkling and refreshing. Our first choice was a bottle of Bruno Paillard, which unfortunately was corked. Fortuitously, this led us to uncork a bottle of rosé by Lahaye, one of my top picks for rosé Champagne, much to my delight.
The wine's beautiful bouquet, featuring barberry candy, red currant, caramel, red apples, and hints of red flowers, offers a delightful complexity. It's fresh, flavourful, and quite intense, yet remains well-balanced and round, culminating in a long and flavourful finish. The harmony between its complexity and inviting friendliness makes it a wonderful choice. A truly enjoyable experience with every sip.
Benoît Lahaye
Benoît Lahaye is among those few daring growers that practice certified biodynamic farming in a Champagne erratic climate. After taking responsibility for the family estate in 1993, Benoît systematically moved towards organic (certified in 2007) and biodynamic practices (certified in 2010). His Burgundy horse, named Tamise, helped him on this road (no pun intended). You can see them together in many photos online.
Today (at least in 2021) Benoît Lahaye owns 4.8 hectares, which are planted to 88% pinot noir: three hectares are located in the pinot noir epicentre of Bouzy; one - in Ambonnay; and tiny parcels in Tauxières-Mutry and Vertus.
Since 2012, all base wines are fermented in 205-litre barriques of between new and 15 years old. Interestingly, Benoît emphasises that his style is not oxidative, preferring to leave oxidative development to occur in the bottle. He also experiments with small tanks, egg fermenters and Tuscan amphorae. Only indigenous yeast is used for fermentation. Full malolactic fermentation is used since 2008 to enhance complexity and permit the reduction of .