Deepen your champagne knowledge...
The Champagne region made rosé wines before ever producing sparkling wines. More or less disdained during the 20 th century, pink champagnes are once again much sought after by wine lovers. This is as much for their delightful taste and aromatic richness as for their lovely colour.
There are two main methods of creating pink champagne.
1. Blended pink champagne ("Rosé d'assemblage") :
This method is by far the most widespread, as it allows the producer to obtain
colour and density that is identical from year to year. It consists of blending
a still white wine (before its second fermentation in bottle, therefore) with
from 5 to 20% of Champagne red wine, vinified to be non tannic.
2. Macerated Pink champagne ("Rosé de
saignée"):
This is the method used for many years by Francis Boulard. It consists of allowing
the grape must to remain in contact with the skins for a short while (just a
few hours). Thus the natural pigments in the skins of the black grapes begin
to colour the juice and at the same time they enrich the juice with their aromatic
components. After maceration, the juices are bled off - hence the name. "Bled"
pink champagnes generally have a more intense pink robe, but this colour can
vary widely with different vintages (which does not have any deleterious effect
on the quality). These "rosé de saignée" champagnes
are generally richer in taste and have a vinous character which makes them particularly
suitable to be served with food.
To read more about Francis Boulard Pibk Champagne :
>> Pink Champagne
data sheet
>> Pink Champagne
Les Rachais Rosé
data sheet
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