Champagne Francis Orban Extra Brut Rose
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Wine &
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Francis Orban (as a grower Champagne producer, or récoltant-manipulant) tends some 18 acres of south-facing vines in and around the villages of Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme. An exclusive blend created for Orban's US importer, North Berkeley Imports, this glorious, 100% Pinot Meunier Extra Brut Champagne is to die for. Ripe yet racy, spiced and sublime — a delicious example of just how food-friendly great Meunier Champagne can be! Made for the table, with its very low 3 grams of sugar per liter, it can pair with just about anything. Yet another perfect Champagne from the excellent cellars at Domaine Francis Orban.
100% Pinot Meunier
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Wine & Spirits
While Francis Orban’s brut rosé carries a dosage of 9 grams of sugar per liter, he bottles this Extra Brut with 3 grams for his importer, North Berkeley. He ferments his base wines with ambient yeasts, including this pinot meunier, most of it pressed off the skins, gaining its strawberry-pink color from 14 percent made as a red wine. Its fragrant red-cherry fruit is tight and tannic for the moment, needing a year of bottle age to bring out the creamy richness and hibiscus scents—or decant it now for roast squab stuffed with wild mushrooms.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from 100% Meunier, with 6% red wine, the NV Champagne Extra Brut Rose pours a pink hue with a tinge of orange. It has a more saline and mineral character, with notes of herbs and tart red cherries. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, with wild cherry fruit that fills the mid palate, along with grapefruit pith and a chalkier texture. Crunchy and salty, it has more structure but it’s not bitter. It just needs more time in bottle to settle its light wild edge a bit.
From a very early age, Francis Orban knew he’d follow in the family tradition of tending Pinot Meunier vines on the sandy, clay rich soils of the Marne Valley. After finishing his enological studies at the ripe age of 19, he joined the family business, imbued with a generations-deep passion for Pinot Meunier. Nearly 90% of estate vineyards are dedicated to this singular grape, as it is here where Meunier reaches its full potential. Francis adds 50% reserve wine to his non-vintage Champagnes, for wines of serious character and depth. New releases include a thrilling vintage wine from 2016, fresh and spiced and wonderfully textured; as well as the estate’s top Champagne, 'L’Orbane,' a years-long aged, pure Pinot Meunier sourced from 100-year-old vines. Practicing sustainable farming.
What are the different types of sparkling rosé wine?
Rosé sparkling wines like Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and others make a fun and festive alternative to regular bubbles—but don’t snub these as not as important as their clear counterparts. Rosé Champagnes (i.e., those coming from the Champagne region of France) are made in the same basic way as regular Champagne, from the same grapes and the same region. Most other regions where sparkling wine is produced, and where red grape varieties also grow, also make a rosé version.
How is sparkling rosé wine made?
There are two main methods to make rosé sparkling wine. Typically, either white wine is blended with red wine to make a rosé base wine, or only red grapes are used but spend a short period of time on their skins (maceration) to make rosé colored juice before pressing and fermentation. In either case the base wine goes through a second fermentation (the one that makes the bubbles) through any of the various sparkling wine making methods.
What gives rosé Champagne and sparkling wine their color and bubbles?
The bubbles in sparkling wine are formed when the base wine undergoes a secondary fermentation, which traps carbon dioxide inside the bottle or fermentation vessel. During this stage, the yeast cells can absorb some of the wine’s color but for the most part, the pink hue remains.
How do you serve rosé sparkling wine?
Treat rosé sparkling wine as you would treat any Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and other sparkling wine of comparable quality. For storing in any long-term sense, these should be kept at cellar temperature, about 55F. For serving, cool to about 40F to 50F. As for drinking, the best glasses have a stem and a flute or tulip shape to allow the bead (bubbles) and beautiful rosé hue to show.
How long do rosé Champagne and sparkling wine last?
Most rosé versions of Prosecco, Champagne, Cava or others around the “$20 and under” price point are intended for early consumption. Those made using the traditional method with extended cellar time before release (e.g., Champagne or Crémant) can typically improve with age. If you are unsure, definitely consult a wine professional for guidance.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’