Wine Advisor
Pierre Paillard, Les Terres Roses Bouzy Grand Cru Brut Rose NV
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Description
Les Terres Roses is crafted primarily with Chardonnay and a small percentage of “Bouzy Rouge”, a still red wine made from old vine Pinot Noir. Stephan Reinhardt from Robert Parker says: “This is simply great and well-structured Rosé! You are gonna have to buy it. There is so much precision and pure fruit here!” Les Terres Roses is also marked with roman numeral on the label to indicates the base vintage, often 80% of the blend.
About the Producer
Brothers Quentin and Antoine Paillard are 8th generation growers running Champagne Pierre Paillard in Bouzy. The Paillards have been crafting wine in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy for more than 200 years. They now tend 11 hectares of vineyards divided between Pinot Noir (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) and farmed sustainably. Most of the family’s vineyard has been propagated, via sélection massale, by taking cuttings from their old vines and with Pinot Noir Fin, traditionally planted in Bourgogne. The Paillard Brothers' winemaking philosophy finds its root in the vineyard. They focus on building the soil... increasing its humus content and microbial diversity. This, in turn, makes nutrients and minerals available to create naturally healthy, well-balanced vines that yield small crops of mature fruit that express their place of origin. By focusing on the soil, their wines express their terroir. In the cellar, their approach is characterized by minimal intervention; no chaptalization, enzymes, artificial settling agents or cold stabilization. The vinification, by plot, occurs in tank and oak with little sulfur added. Malolactic fermentation is never stopped. They craft five Champagnes and one red Coteaux Champenois from Bouzy only, a rare thing in Champagne where the blending of villages and grapes is the norm. The wines benefit from extended aging on their lees. Certain cuvées, once bottled, are aged in the cellar for up to 10 years. The dosage for all cuvées normally falls in the Extra Brut range (2-4g/l) and equates to champagnes of both richness and power on the palate. Total production for the estate is 7,500 cases. (90 000 bottles)
