Description
Champagne André Clouet, Rosé No. 3, Grand Cru Brut MAGNUM
The Clouet family first found the spotlight after becoming the official printers for the Royal Court at Versailles in the mid-18th century (hence the beauty of their wine labels), but their estate in Bouzy, which current owner Jean-François Clouet still calls home, dates back even further! Beneath this historic site lies their labyrinthine chalk cellar, which still contains partial false walls that hid precious bottles during the Nazi’s invasion in World War II. With all this historic grandeur surrounding him, Jean-François draws from tradition and time-honored techniques while respectively embracing modern technology. Clouet is a Pinot Noir specialist—Bouzy is widely regarded as one of Champagne’s greatest sites for Pinot Noir—and his wines are bold, soil-expressive, sumptuous Champagnes that demand to be enjoyed with food.
Derived from mid-slope vines within the prestigious Grand Cru village of Bouzy, this rosé is crafted from 100% Pinot Noir with a healthy portion of reserves. This wine fermented, both alcoholic and malolactic, in stainless steel vessels and then aged for several years in bottle. After disgorgement, it was topped off with a dosage of six grams of sugar and a small percentage of still Bouzy Pinot Noir to achieve its trademark bright salmon color. Fun fact: The term “No.3” was originally created to assist customers in judging the color with the numbers ranging from one, the lightest, to 10, the darkest.
With incredible terroir, extended lees aging, and meticulous winemaking, Clouet’s rosé offers an incredibly balanced combination of ripe fruit, texture, depth, and minerality that is nearly unrivaled. Its vibrant salmon pink gives off astonishingly ripe, ultra-clean aromas that burst out as energetic beads of carbonation swirl upward with vigor. Service temperature is always key, especially in high-quality Champagne, so make sure you’re sniffing and drinking around 50-55 degrees. When at the optimal temperature, it erupts with seductive notes of red cherries, blood orange, grapefruit zest, strawberry coulis, raspberry, damp rose, finely crushed chalk, and a soft touch of wild herbs. For the newcomers: This is not an angular rosé! It boasts ripe, stunningly supple textures that deliver the utmost pleasure. Delightful in its youth, this wine’s fruit will take on savory components over the next 2-3 years, so stow a few bottles away, or at the very least space them out over the next year until the next disgorgement arrives! Cheers!
