233 Champagne Rosé AC Extra-Brut Saignée de Sorbée
Vouette et Sorbée, Bertrand Gautherot

Grape:100% Pinot Noir (12% alc.)

This champagne comes entirely from the 2008 vintage – uncrushed whole grapes were macerated for six days in an open wooden cuve before pressing. Aged for ten months in new to eight year old 400 litre barrels it was disgorged without dosage in January 2011. Crushed red fruits nicely cut through by a refreshing chalky flavour mark this exceptional rosé. For drinking now to 2013.

Technical Information
Winemaker:	Bertrand Gautherot
Location:	Buxières sur Arce
Size of domaine:	4 hectares
Grape:	100% Pinot Noir – 16 years old on average. Oldest 35.
Terroir:	Lieu dit of Sorbée – the soil here is a broken up plaque of portlandian limestone at top of hillside with a southerly aspect.
Viticulture:	Leaves grass to grow between rows and ploughs in the spring. Bio-dynamic viticulture. To avoid compaction of soils he uses only light caterpillar rather than heavy tractors. Manual harvest stretched over 3 weeks. Yields have averaged less than 50 hectos per hectare.
Vinification:	Natural yeasts. Whole bunches of grapes are left to macerate for 6 days in open wooden cuves (in same way as gamay in Beaujolais). A traditional vertical ‘coquard’ press is used. Juice transferred into oak via gravity rather than being pumped. The best fermentation is within the grape itself. Malo-lactics completed. Aged until Aug i.e. for 10 months in mix of fûts and 400 lt barrels. Buys barrels from Arnaud Ente in Meursault. Oldest are 8 yrs and buys 2 new fûts every year. Also buy Marsannay new 400 ltr barrels. 15 months sur latte. Disgorged with no dosage in Dec/Jan.
Press:

 

qty (bottles)

exc vat: £37.92