Domaine Alexandre Bonnet : "La Forêt" Vigne des Riceys Roséee de Saignée Extra Brut 2022

Characteristics and tasting notes for "La Forêt" Vigne des Riceys Rosée de Saignée Extra Brut 2022 by Domaine Alexandre Bonnet

Tasting

Appearance
A clear, lovely madder-red colour enhanced by delicate ruby highlights.

Nose
Remarkably fragrant and deep, the bouquet opens with intense notes of black cherry, wild berries and violet. After a few moments of aeration, subtle hints of spice and dried almond add further richness.

Palate
The attack is both powerful and generous, revealing fruit of great depth. The finely textured palate rests on delicately powdery tannins. Beautifully balanced by mellow acidity, it leads to a long finish lifted by pleasant saline freshness.

Food and wine pairing
This outstanding gastronomic wine will pair beautifully with prime red meats and roast game birds, as well as refined charcuterie or characterful offal dishes.

Serving and cellaring
To enjoy this wine at its best, serve it at a temperature between 12 and 14°C, allowing it to breathe for about five minutes in the glass. This vintage can be enjoyed for the freshness of its fruit until around 2027, or cellared until 2032 and beyond to develop greater complexity.

A great gastronomic rosé wine crafted by Domaine Alexandre Bonnet

The estate
Founded in 1970, Domaine Alexandre Bonnet covers 47 hectares in the village of Les Riceys, in the south of Champagne. Now run by Arnaud Fabre and part of the Lanson-BCC group, the estate stands out for its Burgundian approach to viticulture, based on meticulous plot-by-plot management. Far more than just a brand, the estate is renowned for its environmental commitment and its exceptional mastery of Pinot Noir. It produces distinctive terroir-driven wines that reflect the full richness and singularity of this historic wine region.

The vineyard
The plot from which this wine comes lies at an average altitude of 250 metres, on a steep 45% slope facing south and slightly east. Planted in 1974, the vines thrive on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone soils, dotted with ferruginous traces. This Champagne estate practises precision viticulture, certified HVE and VDC, without any herbicides or insecticides. Biodiversity is encouraged through orchards, truffle oaks and melliferous fallow land.

The vintage
2022 began with a cool spring, quickly followed by ideal summer-like conditions that stimulated vigorous vegetative growth. Flowering took place around ten days earlier than usual. The particularly sunny and dry summer allowed the grapes to reach optimal ripeness, leading to an early harvest that began at the end of August, with bunches in perfect health.

Winemaking and ageing
The bunches are harvested by hand and rigorously sorted in the vineyard, then transported in perforated crates. After a second sorting on a table, the whole harvest is transferred to vats by gravity. A small portion of the crop is foot-trodden before a three-day semi-carbonic infusion, punctuated by daily pump-overs. Alcoholic fermentation is completed in vats for 80% of the wine and in used Burgundy barrels for the remaining 20%. Following natural malolactic fermentation and light filtration, the wine is aged for ten months in the same proportions of vessels, before resting for a further two years in bottle.

Grape variety
100% Pinot Noir.