Champagne Laherte Frres Ros de Meunier NV (Base 19. Disg. Jan 2023)

This dazzling Pinot Meunier represents superb value in a market where ros wines are getting more and more pricey. Its a blend of Meunier vinified three ways. Firstly, 60% of the volume is from fruit pressed off in the traditional way to make a white wine (over one-third of this component was reserve wines that had been aged in barrels). Secondly, 30% was made as a saigne ros (the juice left in contact with the skins for a short period). The final 10% of the blend is from a full-blown red wine.

The fruit is from vines with an average age of 25 years for the parcels producing the white wine, and over 40 years for those used for the red wine. The wines were fermented and aged in a variety of vessels (vats, foudre and old demi-muid barrels) before being transferred to bottle for secondary fermentation. This bottling was disgorged with just 2.5 g/L dosage.