Champagne Brocard Pierre ‘Saignée de la Côte’ Extra Brut Rosé NV

Location: France, Champagne, Côte des Bar

Winemaker: Thibaud Brocard

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Soil: Kimmeridgian and Portlandian Limestone and Clay

Dosage: 2g/l

Winemaking: Stainless steel, 4 months in neutral French barrels

From the Importer De Maison: Thibaud was not interested in making rosé in the first place, as his preference is red wine from pinot noir. If he was going to make rosé at all, he wanted to make a natural, substantive, old-school rosé that drinks like a red wine with bubbles. His rosé ‘Saignée de la Côte’ was born from one of the most unique, bold wines of the region – blurring the lines between red Coteaux Champenois and Champagne. There is nothing like it, and we love this Champagne for it.

Rosé Saignée de la Côte is a wild ride of psychedelic flavors, with an incredibly long finish designed to elevate food pairings or take you on a magic carpet ride. The color is intense ruby with orange highlights. The flavor profile is a celebration of savory red fruits, jam, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, and touches of rose petals, violets, pepper, and cinnamon. The palate, reminiscent of a red Coteaux Champenois, is full-bodied and vinous with thrilling acidity, red fruits, cinnamon, and licorice. It is a pure expression of Côte des Bar pinot noir. A true, bold Saignée, perfect when paired with lamb; Thibaud himself prefers it with Indian food.

Champagne Brocard Pierre produces handmade, terroir-focussed wines with great transparency and electricity, without the aid of chemicals or the winemaking sleight-of-hand common in the world’s most recognizable wine appellation. The vibe at Brocard Pierre is a reflection of Thibaud: fresh and young; jovial, but always on-point. He delivers precise, gastronomic Champagnes designed for maximum pleasure at the table with friends, without pretense.

Vigneron Thibaud Brocard is the fifth generation of Champagne Brocard Pierre to work his family vineyards near the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Seine river valley, known as the Barséquanais area of the Côte des Bar, the southernmost subregion of Champagne. Côte des Bar, located about an hour north of Chablis in the Aube department of France, is the transition point between Champagne and Burgundy. It was part of Burgundy for centuries until the French Revolution. This cultural association still forms the basis for the region’s winemaking philosophy, as well as its traditions and gastronomic identity.

As a condition of Thibaud’s succession to the helm of the family business, he is only interested in pursuing wines of exceptional purity and character, without makeup or boundaries. His mission is to make the best, most delicious, and joyous wines possible from the geographically- and biologically-diverse Côte des Bar region. This statement may seem simple on the surface. Yet, it is a sentiment that is exceedingly difficult to attain, given the reality of the variable and often harsh climate of northern France. It takes ingenuity, dedication, and talent to bring ideals such as these to life. Thibaud’s vision is clearly defined and focussed on the clear transmission of the energy and singularity of his environment while having a damn good time along the way! This vision makes his project one of the most exciting and original in the region and it aligns perfectly with the values of De Maison Selections. We are honored to be the exclusive stewards of the Champagne Brocard Pierre in the US.

The Brocard family are descendants of the native Irish Kennedy family, who settled in Champagne in the 11th century. Thibaud Brocard’s great-great-grandfather George Brocard was the vigneron who founded the family Champagne business in 1932 with their vineyards in the Vallée de l’Ource. George was followed by Emile Brocard, Henri Brocard, and then Pierre Brocard, Thibaud’s father, for whom the company is currently named. In 2012, after spending five years apprenticing with some of the most respected names in Burgundy, Thibaud became the fifth generation of the Brocard family to take over the domaine and its 6.5-hectare vineyards. This developmental period formed the basis for the philosophy that Thibaud now applies to his family domaine. He produces mostly vintage champagnes from single-grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, with a bit of pinot meunier), with each of his 11 parcels vinified separately. Although he produces more Blanc de Blancs, he has a real passion for pinot noir and his Blanc de Noirs, a complex cuvée that inspires him enormously.