Amnesia roses mixed with burgundy2/17/2024 So when Joseph Clair returned from the war unsure how to sell all his family’s wine, he decided to try something new: making a light, pink wine from some of his Marsannay fruit.Ī post shared by Domaine Bruno Clair wine became a hit locally, and then nationally, and when Marsannay was granted appellation status it became an international star as well as the only village permitted to label its rosé with the village name. At the time, Marsannay was less famous and sought after than neighboring villages. Today, Marsannay Rosé is recognized as one of the great and unique wines of Bourgogne. The history of Marsannay supports the economic theory. Why would a producer experiment with a rosé that will sell for less than a red he could make from the same grapes - if it sells at all? For a long time rosés were looked down on as a lesser kind of wine than red and white - and they commanded universally lower prices than Burgundy’s illustrious reds and whites. The economics would seem to have militated against it too. Perhaps that’s why it never became a big part of the culture. Unlike Provence, for instance, the continental climate in Bourgogne doesn’t cry out for rosé in the same way.Īlso, the twin traditions of top-flight red and white wines also work perfectly with the local cuisines, leaving no call for an in-between rosé. It isn’t entirely clear, but we can say a few things for certain. Because they are low in tannin, they pair beautifully with fish dishes that call for bright red-fruited flavors, like, say, monkfish braised in tomatoes. Marsannay Rosés are also exquisite with food. These are wines that take a little longer to make (more on this, below) and actually get better with a little more time in bottle. But the region has become famous for making some of the most profound rosés in the world. Some growers make light, easy-going rosés in Marsannay. It’s almost exclusively from Pinot Noir, and different growers, with vines planted in different terroirs, make very different wines. Marsannay Rosé is not surprisingly, a rosé made in the area around the village of Marsannay. To see how distinctive and delightful burgundian rosés can be you don’t have to look any farther than Marsannay Rosé. But just as Pinot Noir can make wildly expressive red wines when grown in Bourgogne’s varied terroirs, so too can it make amazing rosés. Is Bourgogne Rosé good? Why do I only hear about red and white Bourgogne?īourgogne is much better-known, of course, for its white Chardonnay-based wines and it’s red Pinot Noir wines than its rosés. It’s a very special wine and, in a sense, there is Marsannay Rosé and then there is the rest. In fact, there is only one village appellation that is allowed to put its name on a bottle of rosé: Marsannay Rosé. Rosé can be made almost anywhere in Burgundy that grows red grapes, although the rules about what you can call the wine are pretty strict. In the northern “Grand Auxerrois” region, the ancient César grape gets to play a supporting role, adding some depth and structure. In very rare cases you will find white grapes like Pinot Gris (known as Pinot Beurot in Burgundy), Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc in a rosé (at least in part to help manage the wines’ color). Most pink Burgundy is made with Pinot Noir grapes, though Gamay is also permitted and there are some Bourgogne Rosés made exclusively from Gamay (in fact, if you see a rose with Mâcon and and another geographical denomination on the label the wine must be 100% Gamay). But we’ll be doing a focused post on Crémant de Bourgogne so we won’t discuss bubbly Rosé much here. There is also amazing sparkling rosé, Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé. (For more on how rosés are made, see our Rosé FAQ ).īourgogne (we’ll mostly use the French word for Burgundy in this post) makes amazing rosés that range from the deliciously easy-drinking up to the very serious, complex and even age-worthy. Winemakers develop their beautiful pink colors by leaving the grapes’ juice - which is clear - in contact with the grape skins - which are full of pigment - for just long enough to pick up a little color and some flavor… but never enough time to make a wine that looks, feels or tastes like a full-on red wine. What is Burgundy Rosé (aka “Bourgogne Rosé”)?īourgogne rosés are wines made from (mostly) red grapes. What makes it so good? Why is it so relatively rare? How do I find great examples of Bourgogne Rosé? These are just three of the questions we’ll try to answer in this post. Rosés made in Burgundy are delicious and distinct wines, but also very rare compared to white and red Burgundy wines.
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