The De Sousa family first came to Champagne by way of Portugal when patriarch, Manuel, settled in the Grand Cru village of Avize following World War I. Manuel’s son, Antoine, married a French vigneron’s daughter, Zoémie Bonville, and the rest is history. The De Souzas have been crafting world-class Champagne for three generations now. The current generation, Antoine’s son, Erick de Sousa, and his wife, Michelle, have been at the helm of the business since 1986. During their tenure, they were granted organic certification in 1989 and pushed the envelope and quality even further with biodynamic viticulture. Their tireless efforts in the vineyards lends a purity of fruit that inevitably delivers a wine teeming with life from the cellars.
Derived from Côte des Blancs soils of sand and predominantly chalk, these vineyards are over forty years old and are entirely hand-harvested. The Chardonnay, cultivated in the Grand Cru soils of Avize in the Côte des Blancs, is fermented with natural, indigenous yeast in tank, as is the Pinot Noir, from Aÿ, which inevitably ages in French oak afterward. The wine matures in bottle for two years on its lees and riddling is still done by hand. This opulent yet balanced rosé was disgorged years ago, which has given it time to develop the enhanced nutty and creamy flavor profile that only comes with proper storage and patience.
This Brut Rosé exhibits a pale salmon core with orange reflections on the rim, which indicates a touch of age. The intense aromatics on the three-dimensional nose reveals a bouquet of preserved strawberry, dried yellow apple, orange peel, cherries macerated in fresh cream, honeysuckle, freshly baked brioche, white mushrooms and crushed stones. The palate boasts an incredibly rich, relatively full-bodied champagne with a generous mouthfeel. Additional notes of lemon blossom and dried roses accompany the flavors reminiscent of the fragrant nose. This champagne is a perfect candidate for a large Burgundy stem thanks to its lively aromatics. Serve just under 50 degrees and allow the bubbles to settle for ten minutes then watch this beauty truly awaken. An ideal Rosé Champagne for a main course, try
this wine with duck a l’orange.
