Rosé suffers from not being considered serious. But why do we have to be “serious” all the time? And surely it is no more or less serious than the red and the white. It deserves to be more popular.
Good Pinot Noir rosé can be a delicious drink, perhaps the best rosé of all.
Marsannay is the only place in the Côte d’Or where Rosé has a villages appellation rather than Bourgogne. This is the closest appellation to the city of Dijon.
Marsannay rosé is the specialty of Marsannay. It all started with Joseph Clair, grandfather of Bruno Clair, when upon returning from the war in 1919, he had the idea to vinify the grapes of pinot noir into rosé wine, for the first time. The success of this original wine was such that it became a specialty of the commune and acquired a certain amount of fame, which spread across France.
These dry wines are rich, rather than light and fragrant. Packed with ripe fruit flavors that can include blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry and cherry. It can be poised, racy and delightfully fruity and elegant if you stick to the best.
The rosé of Marsannay is a wine to be savored in all seasons. They are best consumed young, although can be easily kept for 2 to 3 years and some people do enjoy them when the wine has an orange tinge and the fruit is overmature.
It must be served fresh (10-12°C), never cold, for all the pinot flavors to open fully.
Contrary to what one might expect, the rosé of Marsannay, to reach its peak, should be kept in storage for at least a year in stainless vats. That explains why it is sold late in the year compared to other French rosé wines.
Around 80% of Marsannay is harvested by machine with just a few exceptions, including Bruno Clair.
2017 Domaine Bruno Clair, Marsannay Rosé (
89+)
Medium-pale colour. Good depth of aromas rich in red fruit and the unique flavors of pinot noir. Vibrantly fresh, lots of complexity and intensity.
Domaine Bruno Clair is the most important property in the village. Its origins lie in the old Clair-Daü estate, broken up in the early 1980s. Bruno Clair has expanded since.
Another example is rather rare rose 2015 La Rose du Clos (87) by Domaine Des Lambrays in Morey St. Denis. This rose is very pale pink in color. Lacks the complexity and concentration of the previous one. Very refreshing for a hot summer day with hint of stewed red berries mainly redcurrant with touch of herbs.
2017 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Rosé2015 La Rose Du Clos Bourgogne Domaine Des Lambrays
