The Secret Lands

Summary                                                                          
Wine:     Crémant Rosé NV
Region:  Southern Burgundy, France (Grand Site Solutré-Pouilly-Vergisson area)
Grape:   80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay
Style:     Dry, sparkling rosé
Alcohol: 12.5%
Producer: Vignerons des Terres Secrètes (the secret land)

What’s the secret? These grapes grow on prehistoric lands in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, in a landscape shaped and inhabited across millenia. The vineyards thread through a mosaic of micro-climates and small villages under the watch of two ancient limestone sentinels, designated a Grand Site de France: the rock of Solutré (493 m/1,617 feet) and the rock of Vergisson (485 meters/1,591 feet).

I had this Crémant Rosé as an apértif at Angèle in Napa. It is produced in the traditional method, with the first alcoholic fermentation taking place in the tank and secondary fermentation in the bottle for two years.

It has the color of pale salmon with aromas and flavors of strawberry and lemon. After warming slightly, a soft brioche emerges.

And this is the conundrum.

The wine tastes crisp and bright when icy cold but the deeper notes stay hidden until the wine slowly warms. Only then does the brioche emerge, soft and subtle.

Sparkling wines are ideally served at 6-10°C or 43-50°F, but this Crémant Rosé is worth lingering over so the full flavors in the glass can unfold.