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Champagne Paul Déthune, Grand Cru Brut Rosé

Champagne / Montagne de Reims, France MV (750mL)
$60.00
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Champagne Paul Déthune, Grand Cru Brut Rosé

There’s no denying we have an addiction to Paul Déthune’s small-batch Champagnes: Since year one, we’ve broadcasted our extreme obsession in the form of innumerable offers and a constantly swelling private collection. And yet, shockingly, this is our first feature of Déthune’s Grand Cru rosé, an extraordinary Pinot-driven wine that delivers Egly-Ouriet depth, balance, and vinosity at half the price. Maybe this similarity in profile lies in the fact that Déthune sources from the same famed hillside in Ambonnay, a hallowed site that is arguably home to the top Pinot Noir in all of Champagne. Whatever it may be, my money chooses today’s sublime, freshly-disgorged $60 rosé over Egly’s $120 bottling every single time.


I say that not as a slight to Egly, but rather as a tremendous bow of respect to Champagne Paul Déthune. Their life’s commitment to ceaselessly hard work—from organic farming of Grand Cru Ambonnay vines to painstakingly traditional methods in the winery—is on full display here. And still, they don’t charge you what the market demands which is why we couldn’t be more thrilled to finally debut this rosé. One final note: Déthune has a steadfast commitment to keeping their micro-production, well, micro, so we must cap all purchases at six bottles per person.


Paul Déthune is a Récoltant-Manipulant (“RM”), aka grower-producer, which means they own, farm, and craft wines solely from their estate. While major Champagne houses, or Négociant-Manipulants, typically make wines by purchasing grapes from many different farmers, a “grower-producer” controls every aspect of farming and winemaking. The Déthunes have been farming and crafting Champagne in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay since 1889, but their winemaking lineage can be traced to 1610. Today, Pierre Déthune and his wife, Sophie, tend to seventeen acres of vine throughout Ambonnay. What’s more, The Déthune’s are also adamant about sustainability: natural fertilizers are used, cover crops are planted, solar panels have been installed, and a rainwater collection system has been implemented. 



Déthune’s rosé is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, all of which comes from their holdings in Grand Cru Ambonnay. It is here that Pinot Noir reveals its most intense expression, delivering signature minerality and terroir that translates to opulent, perfectly balanced Champagnes. Their grapes are hand-harvested at ripe levels and fermented (both alcoholic and malolactic) in 205-liter French oak barriques. Afterwards, nearly 50% of older reserve wine was blended into the base. It was then sent to age in their hand-carved, 17th-century chalk chalk for several years before disgorgement in mid 2019. It has now tacked on an additional year of maturation post-disgorgement, and it’s all the better for it. An interesting note: Instead of adding a standard dosage, Pierre uses MCR, or moût concentré rectifié, which is super-concentrated grape must reduced down to its base sugars. It’s rarely found in Champagne, but several pioneering growers are now using it with the mindset that it creates a more neutral and consistent sweetener. 



If you want to enjoy this stellar Grand Cru rosé at its best, serve in flared tulips or all-purpose stems to experience the vast array of complexities. Bonus tip: I like allowing the bubbles to slowly dissipate in a glass over 30-60 minutes—after the lion’s share of bubbles leave the wine, the expression is almost reminiscent of a great bottle of Burgundy. As it evolves, you’ll begin losing yourself in deeply pronounced aromas of red cherry, apple skin, pomegranate seeds, juicy plum, wild strawberry preserves, and a constant high note of citrus alongside chalk,  crushed shells, vanilla bean, wildflowers, brioche, dried herbs, and rose water. I might actually be convinced that there isn’t a single soul who could dislike this rosé Champagne. It’s so inviting and broadly layered, rich yet deeply refreshing—it’s perfection. This can be enjoyed now and often, or held back for 2-5 years. The choice is yours, just know that a wonderful Grand Cru experience awaits you whenever the cork is pulled. Cheers!

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Country
France
Region
Champagne / Montagne de Reims
Sub-Region
FranceGrand Cru Ambonnay
Soil
Clay & Chalk
Farming
Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 80%, Chardonnay 20%
Alcohol
12.0
OAK
Fermentation in Neutral French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Pairing
Lamb Tartare

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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