What producers come to mind when we talk about rich, beautifully colored, mesmerizingly complex rosé Champagne under $50? For SommSelect, it’s fan-favorite André Clouet, as well as 2018’s surprise discovery, Henriet-Bazin; both are wines that floor us with their undeniable/unbeatable price-to-quality ratio. But a third contender has entered the arena, literally landing on America’s soils for the very first time last week: Francis Orban’s Brut Rosé.
Today’s breathtaking expression comes in at the best comparative price and, subsequently, is vying with our other two favorites. Put simply, if this doesn’t have a serious impact on your perception of Champagne, nothing else will! Francis sustainably farms just seven hectares within two Vallée de la Marne villages (where almighty Krug purchases fruit) and blends an impossibly deep wine that contains a heavy proportion of reserves dating back to 2011. Add in prolonged aging that triples the legal requirement, along with a judicious dosage, and the result is one of the ultimate sub-$50 luxury items on the market. We suspect our small allocation of Francis Orban’s richly flavored rosé will be inhaled quickly, so don’t miss the red carpet rollout!
Krug, one of Champagne’s greatest names, is renown for their non-vintage “Grand Cuvée,” and two of their major sources for Pinot Meunier grapes comes from the Vallée de la Marne villages of Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme—where Francis Orban’s seven hectares of family-owned vines are located. Ultimately, this is a microscopic grower-producer with a heart fully dedicated to the cultivation of old-vine Meunier in two locations that Krug deems best. The Orbans aren’t newcomers, either: Established in 1929, Orban was one of the first grower-producers in Leuvrigny, and the family has since continued that tradition for four generations. Founder Leopold Orban’s great-grandson, Francis, is now proudly at the helm.
So what’s the big deal about Meunier? Briefly, it’s a black wine grape historically used for blending throughout Champagne. It ripens earlier and buds later than Pinot Noir in this chilly northern French climate and typically results in a fruitier, more accessible wine. This translates into powerful aromatics and brilliant freshness, which is why Champagne producers love using it for blending. Domaine Francis Orban, however, is in a small, but ever-growing (for a reason!) company of producers that crafts Meunier as a varietal wine and the results are spectacular. Orban doesn’t do this for show, either—he’s dedicated to this grape. Nearly 90% of his vines, most of them in excess of 40 years old, are planted to Meunier. After hand harvesting, the base vintage in 2014, a traditional wooden Coquard press was used to press the grapes, and then both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation occurred in stainless steel vats. The Meunier was blended with a whopping 50% reserve wine from 2011-2013. After bottling and aging roughly 3.5 years on lees, the wine was disgorged in July of 2018. It was topped off with a dosage of nine grams/liter and blended with 14% ‘still’ wine to add further color and complexity.
Francis Orban’s Brut Rosé shines a deep salmon with brilliant vermilion hues (you can thank the addition of still Meunier for that) streaking out to a reflective silver rim. This is an extremely energetic wine that erupts with a vibrant, frothy mousse and frenetic bubbles that are seemingly racing each other to the surface. The nose is opulent and flashy, with primary, high-toned notes of strawberry shortcake, white raspberries, red currant, and Rainier cherry, followed by elegant aromas of crushed rose petals, brioche, white flowers, crushed rocks, and citrus blossoms. This is a very ripe and inviting style of Champagne that highlights lush red (wild strawberry!) and white fruits alongside persisting crushed rock minerality. With well over three years of lees aging and a large percentage of complex reserve wines added into the mix, the interplay of freshness, texture, and depth of flavors makes this one of the great sub-$50 rosé Champagnes on the market. And, it’s incredibly addicting. Enjoy now and over the next several years around 50 degrees and either bring it to your next fancy brunch or follow the attached terrine recipe at home—only if you’re fully prepared to do the waiting! Cheers!
