Champagne, France | 90% Pinot Meunier, 10% Pinot Noir | Base 2022 

During our last visit to Villers-aux-Nœuds, he introduced us to this new Rosé style—a transition from Saignée to Assemblage in pursuit of greater freshness and drinkability. By blending a touch of macerated Pinot Noir into his nervy, old-vine Meunier juice, he has traded "gastronomic" weight for a high-definition elegance that has already earned a stellar 94 points from The Wine Advocate on its first release.

The 2022 base bursts with pomegranate, blood orange, and rose petals. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and graceful, trading robust power for a crystalline energy and a sophisticated mineral snap. Brochet believes this method yields a more drinkable and translucent expression of the terroir, resulting in a Champagne of total equilibrium that is lighter and more "nervy" than prior renditions.

The soul of the wine lies in the 1965-planted massal selection vines from the La Motelle lieu-dit. This organically farmed, old-vine fruit provides a depth and tension that only deep roots can offer. Our allocation of this new release has just landed, but given the cult following for Brochet’s micro-production wines, these bottles will move quickly.