brut rose'

Made mostly from Pinot Noir (80%) and a small part of Chardonnay (20%) which allows it to age better. It is then mixed with red wine (10-12%) coming from old vines. It ages for 2-3 years in our cellars.

Tasting comments
Many fine bubbles which form a cordon of ample froth. Raspberry colour with salmon reflections.
First nose is strong with aromas of citrus fruits(orange, manadrin) then exotic hints (mango) and stewed fruits. The finale gives hints of liquorice and a zest of orange.
The mouth attack is powerful and generous with a taste of little red fruits. A good length for the finale.

Suitable for the aperitif or the dessert, with exotic dishes, lightly spicy, grilled meats, lobster..

It is at Ay that our farm can be found, in the middle of the vineyards. Ay, appellation Grand Cru (few towns in Champagne benefit from this appellation) has well exposed hillsides and a chalky soil which is very much appreciated by the vines (a natural thermal regulator which absorbs, conserves and reproduces the humidity needed by the vines).

Most of our vines are in Ay, well known for its Pinot Noir grape variety, but also in Mareuil sur Ay and Mutigny, not far from there and also in Bassu, the Chardonnay land.

Champagne is the union of a terroir, a climate , of grape varieties and a know-how, which all make for an exceptional vineyard.

Our champagne is the logical development of a long family tradition..

It was in 1876 that Narcisse ROGER started vinifying his grapes. Since then several generations have succeeded each other.As from 1968 I worked with my father Henri, who had a passion for his job. In 1995 I created my own brand of champagne: Champagne René ROGER
For the last 20 years I have been working with my son Laurent who joined the farm after finishing his viticulture and oenology studies.

We are what is called a "recoltant-manipulant" (Champagne maker-vintner), we make our own champagne with the grapes from the vines that we cultivate.

Our farm is situated in what was one of the oldest cooperages of the Champagne area.

A Year in the Vineyards
René Roger, notre savoir-faire : élaborer du ChampagneThe grape harvest is the fruit of one year’s work.

During the winter, the pruning helps us find a balance between the quantity of the harvest and the development and the longevity of the vines.

Then in the spring we have different interventions called the green pruning (disbudding, trellising, trimming…) which enables us to align the vines in rows, paying particular attention to permit a good maturity and airing of the vines.

René Roger, notre savoir-faire : élaborer du ChampagneTo fight against the illnesses and parasites of the vines, we have put in place a lasting viticulture using moderated viticultural methods, which gives for a regular, good quality harvest, while respecting the environment and mankind.
To enable this we have to put in place cultural and controlled ethics , for the environment whenever necessary, for grass sowing and the soil on certain plots, for the sexual confusion, for the planting of bushes, for moderated manure….

Around mid-September comes the time for the grape picking.

From the Harvest to the Still Wine
René Roger, notre savoir-faire : élaborer du ChampagneThe grape picking is done by hand. In order to ensure clear juices from black skinned grapes(Pinot Noir) the picking with a harvesting machine is forbidden.

To extract only the juices, we undertake a typical champagne pressing, slow and with little pressure, so that the juices do not colour from contact with the grapeskins

Once the grapes have been pressed, the yeast turns the sugar into alcohol: this is called the alcoholic fermentation.

Then comes the malolactic fermentation which is the transformation of the acid which enables the wine to balance.

The Champagnisation
René Roger, notre savoir-faire : élaborer du ChampagneThen comes the time for the cuvée blending, very specific to Champagne. You must know how to combine the blend of different wines from different grape varieties, different years, towns and plots to obtain, each year, a constant quality of our vintages. This entails a very important work of memory.

Around March – April it is bottling time (tirage). The wines will go through a second alcoholic fermentation in the bottles. This is called the sparkling fermentation. The added sugar changes to alcohol, René Roger, notre savoir-faire : élaborer du Champagnedue to the yeasts and naturally produce carbon dioxide which gives the bubbles and the froth of our champagnes. This lasts a month and then we leave the wines several years to age in the cellars. It is on the sediment, developing new aromas, that the wines will age and improve.

After ageing, the riddling helps the sediment to arrive at the bottle neck to then be ejected with the disgorgement and we add liqueur for the dosage of the champagne (brut, demi-sec..). The bottles will be capsuled and labeled after several months.

The ideal temperature for tasting Champagne is between 8° and 10°.
Put your bottle in a wine bucket filled with water and ice and leave for half an hour or put it in the fridge for 4-5 hours.

Pour the Champagne into a Champagne glass or a tulip glass so as to keep all the aromas. Avoid washing the glasses in a dishwasher as the detergents prevent the bubbles and the froth cordon to form.
The bubbles are brought about by the porosity of the glass. Therefore, from one glass to the next, they can be different.

Tasting is done in 3 stages:

Visual : Observe the colour which will give you clues to the age or the composition of the champagne , then the fizziness and the ballet of bubbles.

Olfactif : Shake and smell for a long moment to apreciate its flavours

Gustative : Put in the mouth a small quantity of wine and keep it there for a few seconds turning it around the pallet.

To appreciate a Champagne it is best to drink it before a meal (from 10a.m. to 12a.m. or after 5 p.m.) or during a meal rather than after a meal.

Enjoy your tasting !