Friday, November 28, 2008

Friday Night Bubbles

N.V. Champagne Raymond Boulard Champagne Rosé de Saignée, $39, SelectedEstates of Europe. I love drinking Francis Boulard's wines. I like writing about his wines too - he apparently lurks out there in the blogosphere, and read my posts on his Brut Nature and Petraea. His comments are edifying, funny, and I think, very humble and sweet.

In my understanding, there are essentially two ways to make rosé of Champagne: still red wine is added to the blend, or the juice of red grapes is allowed a short period of skin contact. With the latter method, some of the color (and also skin tannins, aroma, flavor, I would imagine) bleeds out into the juice. This is called the Saignée, or bleeding, method.


I have not been a big fan in general of rosés of Champagne thus far. My experiences have been hit or miss, and the hits have rarely moved me enough to get really excited. That changed with a bottle of Geoffroy Rosé de Saignée. So much more vibrant and alive than the others I had tasted, and my first Saignée (at home, where you can watch the wine unfold in the glass, etc.). Now I keep my eyes open for rosés made using this method,
so when I saw Boulard's non-vintage Saignée sitting there for less than $40, I pounced.

This wine has a spicy nose of pure and beautiful dark fruit and candied orange peel with lots of minerals and earth underneath. It is a nose of great clarity and vivid complexity. It kept my nose in the glass for literally minutes at a time between sips. The palate is richly fragrant with high toned currant and orchard fruit and a savory tea leaf component. There is a cleansing chalky finish with a resonant mineral depth that seems to be a Boulard calling card. We drank this with simple turkey burgers, but it seems as if it would support a variety of full flavored dishes.

5 comments:

Vinogirl said...

I love rose champagnes...Laurent Perrier used to be my quaffing sparkling rose of choice...now I want to try this...sounds fab!

jason Carey said...

What about the H. Billot rose? that is astonishing.
Espeically this "year's" release of the NV.

Brooklynguy said...

Thanks Vinogirl - you always stop by for Friday NIght Bubbles and i always appreciate it.

Hi Jason - I absolutely LOVE Billiot's rosé. It is extra special as a solera wine - very complex, very rich. I haven't drank the new disgorgement yet. Hope I see it soon, and hope it hasn't gone stratospheric in the price department.

Vinogirl said...

I'm a fan, what can I say? Keep up the good posts.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comments and photos.

I am very impressed to read comments about our wines(champagnes) which have been drunk (I do not know if the grammar is good there ... ? ? ? ... I just learn few english words and sentences during the short time that I was at the school ... please sorry) thousands kilometers from their ''terroirs'' where they are born.

Which is the DD date on this bottles ?
Please see on the back label, on the back right side ...
in order to know the harvest year...
To say, I have not enough space on the US back labels to print all the informations that we usually write in France and EEC back labels.
Perhaps, next year, I must find larger back labels, for printing more informations,
in order that the consumer understand more about the wine-making, the process, the vine-growing, and more.

I am just a little sade, because there is no bottle of Les Rachais in your state.
Hope next year, you could find them in and around New-York.

Again, many thanks for your comments.

Best sparkling wishes,
Bien amicalement,

Francis