Why Michel Arnould Rosé Brut Champagne?
First things first. Let’s address the question of our bottle’s unknown age.
This Rosé was made by blending multiple vintages of Pinot Noir Champagne and Pinot Noir Coteaux Champenois . All their grapes sourced from the village of Verzenay.
Whenever a wine in a bottle does not come from one specific vintage and instead is a blend of multiple vintages, it is referred to as Non-Vintage or NV wine. Our reviewed Rosé is one such wine.
It is believed that Non-Vintage wines are lower in quality. This is frequently reflected in the price you pay for these wines. NV wines cost less than their vintage counterpart. While the price part of this narrative is usually true, we do not think the quality part always applies.
When Non-Vintage wine comes from a known appellation or, as is the case with Michel Arnould Rosé Champagne, comes with a Grand Cru label, there’s potential for a good value to be had.
Because it is NV, identifying the age of the wine in the bottle required a bit of wine forensics on our part.
This was an auction purchase from 3 years ago. Consequently, finding out when this bottle was released and purchased by the original owner is impossible. The bottle has a label that we found was used as early as 2009 disgorgement bottling. For these reasons, we think our wine was bottled sometime between 2011-2015, which makes it an old wine indeed!
About Michel Arnould Grand Cru Champagne house
The current owner is a 6th generation winemaking family who owned the vineyards and vinified the grapes in this same location since the start of the last century. Located in the Grand Cru village of Verzenay, the vineyards are certified High Environmental value and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne.
The average age of all vines is approximately 35 years.
The family primarily grows Pinot Noir, 80%. The remaining 20% is planted with Chardonnay grapes. Both of these are among the grape varietals sanctioned in the production of Coteaux Champenois. Production regulations for the region allow for the inclusion of smaller geographic indicators on the label of these wines, as well as Grand Cru, where applicable. As a result, you will see Verzenay and Grand Cru featured on Arnould’s Champagne labels.
The appellation allows the production of both still and sparkling wines. However, still wines are much less-known and respected. Consequently, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are worth much more if they are used in the region’s world-famous Champagne wines. It comes as no surprise that all wines produced by Michel Arnould are Champagne sparkling wines. Their current lineup of wines includes both vintage and Non-Vintage champagnes that all can be summarized in one of these three varietal composition formulas:
• Vintage or Non-Vintage 100% Pinot Noir
• Vintage or Non-Vintage 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay.
• Vintage 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay.
Wine tasting notes:
*The current-day equivalent of the wine we are reviewing is called Rosé Blanc de Noir Grand Cru.
NV Michel Arnould Rosé Brut Champagne Grand Cru
Region:
Champagne, France
Varietal Composition:
100% Pinot Noir from multiple harvests
alcohol level:
12%
colour:
Deep salmon
sweetness:
Dry
type:
Champagne (Sparkling Wine)
price:
$35 (USD) €31.10 online stores
Cellaring:
Drink now
- It has quite a bit of cloudiness due to, not unusual and to be expected, sediment in the wine of this age.
- It is somewhat lacking in aromatic interest, especially the bright red fruit we’d come to expect with Grand Cru wines.
- This full-bodied wine has mid-palate length and well-balanced acidity.
- A hint of strawberry on the nose.
- Subtle clay and powerfully ruby red grapefruit on the palate.
- Bubbles are there but a bit tired. At this point, it is a bit one-dimensional.
- Still, a good value for the money we paid for it. Wine is quite enjoyable when paired with food, but it is slightly past its prime. If you have any of these in your cellar, consider drinking them now.
tasted: Winter of 2022
NV Michel Arnould Rosé Brut Champagne food pairing recommendations
Michel Arnould Rosé Champagne pairs well with food. It could be enjoyed with appetizers or a main course.
Because this Champagne is exclusively Pinot Noir, it pairs well with many dishes that pair well with the still Pinot Noir, such as duck confit or salmon. The food pairings that we confidently recommend as good, if not “Perfect 10” matches, with this wine are:
- Steelhead Salmon rouladen with asparagus and sauce Romesco
- Salmon and prawns with chorizo sautéed potatoes, sauce Romesco
- Variety of tapas, all collated under one Pinot Noir Tapas Board
Sign up for our newsletter to ensure you don’t miss a recipe for other dishes that work great with Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Rosé sparkling wines.
Bottom Line
As we previously wrote, age adds nuances to quality wines, but wines do not age forever. You need to know when to stop and drink your fully developed mature wine.
This Rosé fits in the “drink now and fast” category.
While you are at it, consider how well this wine defied the challenges of time.
Consider this, Rosé wines generally do not age well. For that matter, they are not meant to. These wines are made to be consumed young to fully appreciate the fruit. Sparkling wines, especially NV sparkling wines, are not particularly known for aging capabilities either.
Michel Arnould’s Rosé sparkler is in a league of its own.
Not only is this wine rightfully called Champagne because of the geographic area where the grapes were grown, but it is also made of Pinot Noir, the most challenging of Champagne varieties to ripen.
As a result, you get a wine that aged gracefully and still provides quite a bit of enjoyment even past its prime time. Considering the price of this wine and the quality you get at this price point, we think it is a real bargain.
Featured image attribution: Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
We look forward to hearing how well our tasting notes and food pairing recommendations worked for you.
Do you have a superstar food pairing recommendation to go with any of the wines featured in this post? Please leave us a comment and share your experiences.
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