Julien Prélat "Chantemerle Gourmandise" Rosé Champagne

Julien Prélat farms in Celles-sur-Ource, in the Côte des Bar, Champagne's southernmost district, where fossil-rich Kimmeridgian limestone soils, the same found in Chablis, lend his wines a distinctive marine minerality. A fourth-generation vine grower but the first in his family to bottle Champagne under his own name, Julien works in the same village as celebrated grower-producers Cédric Bouchard (Roses de Jeanne) and Aurélien Gerbais, and shares their commitment to single-vintage, single-varietal, single-vineyard bottlings. Chantemerle Gourmandise is made from Pinot Noir grown on vines around 30 years old, blending roughly 90% still Pinot Noir base wine with about 10% vin rouge (still red Pinot Noir) to build its rosé color and character, a traditional Champagne method known as assemblage rather than saignée. Sourced from the same calcareous, fossil-laden terroir as Julien's other cuvées, it's crafted in a rich, vinous style true to the Côte des Bar's reputation for producing more structured, fuller-bodied Champagne than the Chardonnay-dominant regions further north. In the glass, expect a sensual, spiced, distinctly fruity character, with a nose of wild strawberry, cinchona (quinine bark), and rhubarb. The palate is vinous and satisfying, carrying real freshness and drinkability alongside its richer, more textural personality, a hallmark of Aube Pinot Noir. Production is tiny, limited to just over 1,300 bottles in some vintages, making it a genuine rarity even among grower Champagne enthusiasts.