Saignée des Tempêtées, Rosé de Saignée, Brut Nature 2018

Wine Description for Saignée des Tempêtées Rosé de Saignée Brut Nature 2018 by Tarlant

Colour & Appearance

Transparent yet intensely saignée-red with fine, persistent perlage – a visual statement that already announces the seriousness of this Champagne.

Nose

Expressive and multi-layered: candied rose and violet petals meet blood orange and kumquat zest. These are joined by pomegranate juice, wild strawberries and redcurrants, subtly threaded through with fine herbal and mineral notes that hint at the chalky terroir.

Palate

Here the true class emerges: the texture is chalky and cool, with a brilliant, almost cutting acidity that surprises given the hottest vintage in a hundred years. Bone-dry and finely structured, it develops a fascinating association with Kriek with Schaarbeek cherries as it opens up – complex, precise, without any concession to pleasantness.

Terroir & Origin

From the single vineyard site Tempêtée in Œuilly, a north-east facing vineyard at 158 metres elevation with a 13% slope. The chalky clay fundamentally shapes the character of this Champagne. The vines – 13 different clones in as many rows – were planted by the Tarlant family in 1981.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Pinot Noir, harvested on 3 September 2018. After 16 hours of skin contact, slow gravity pressing followed by spontaneous fermentation and seven months on lees in Burgundian pièces. No malolactic fermentation, no dosage – pure, uncompromising signature. Bottled April 2019, disgorged June 2024. Only 3,700 bottles.

Food Pairing Suggestions

A versatile food companion: excellent with main courses, but also with not overly sweet desserts and mature cheese. The acidity structure and dryness make it the ideal partner for roasted poultry, lamb rack or tuna tataki.

Special Characteristics

A saignée Champagne that redefines the category: not a crowd-pleasing aperitif rosé, but a serious, gastronomic wine with impressive ageing potential and the characteristic Tarlant philosophy of absolute dryness.