The 12 Champagnes of Christmas
Fleur de Miraval is an exciting project launched in 2020 by film legend Brad Pitt with two "star" winemakers, Rodolphe Péters of Champagne's Pierre Péters and Marc Perrin of the Rhône's Famille Perrin estates. "Exclusivement," Fleur de Miraval's original Rose Champagne garnered rave reviews from us and the wine press, but our enthusiasm was dampened by its nearly three-hundred-dollar tariff. Petite Fleur is a new companion label to the "Exclusivement" that is available for just a third of the cost. This "little sister" is a Champagne of impeccable pedigree as it encompasses Chardonnay grapes sourced exclusively from magnificent terroirs of the Côte des Blancs with a 5% splash of Pinot Noir, vinified as still wine, to create the pale pink hue. As we said, upon its release, this bottling charms with its Billecart-like finesse while showing more verve and chalk character from its Côtes des Blancs lineage.
The Pitt and Perrin alliance goes back to 2012, when they first brought the hugely successful Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé to thirsty rosé wine drinkers around the world and helped to launch "rosé all day" as a lifestyle. But looking beyond Provence, they noticed that there wasn't as much of a focus on high quality rosé Champagne. "We're wine lovers on top of being winemakers," Perrin told Wine Spectator in 2021. "We loved great white Champagne, but we often felt the rosé counterparts were not at the same level."
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "This is a new classic rosé from Fleur de Miraval with rose petals, iron shavings and some orange peel. Medium-bodied with zesty orange peel, rose petal, chalk and hibiscus on the palate. Dried strawberry and iron. Lovely balance of acidity. Juicy. Lightly dry finish. Based on the proprietary reserve. White from 2019 and red 2019 blends. All Cote de Blancs and Pinot Noir from Vertus. October release. Drink or hold."
WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "An elegant Champagne, offering a fine, lacy mousse and a lively but still delicate frame of acidity for notes of apricot and wild cherry fruit, grated ginger and pink grapefruit zest. Simultaneously, this has an underpinning of toasted nuts, smoke and chalk adding richness and depth. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2026. 3,500 cases imported."
‘Petite Fleur’ opens on a magnificent bouquet of spring flowers, with notes of peony and hawthorn, interwoven with bright, luscious red fruit such as raspberry and redcurrant. The mouth is exquisitely juicy and full, illuminated with fresh, lemony citrus notes, ruby grapefruit and mandarin, and a subtly diaphanous finish. ‘Petite Fleur’ is the very essence of its place of origin: the magnificent terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, anchored in the noble purity of chalk.
Fleur de Miraval is an exciting project launched in 2020 by film legend Brad Pitt with two "star" winemakers, Rodolphe Péters of Champagne's Pierre Péters and Marc Perrin of the Rhône's Famille Perrin estates. "Exclusivement," Fleur de Miraval's original Rose Champagne garnered rave reviews from us and the wine press, but our enthusiasm was dampened by its nearly three-hundred-dollar tariff. Petite Fleur is a new companion label to the "Exclusivement" that is available for just a third of the cost. This "little sister" is a Champagne of impeccable pedigree as it encompasses Chardonnay grapes sourced exclusively from magnificent terroirs of the Côte des Blancs with a 5% splash of Pinot Noir, vinified as still wine, to create the pale pink hue. As we said, upon its release, this bottling charms with its Billecart-like finesse while showing more verve and chalk character from its Côtes des Blancs lineage.
The Pitt and Perrin alliance goes back to 2012, when they first brought the hugely successful Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé to thirsty rosé wine drinkers around the world and helped to launch "rosé all day" as a lifestyle. But looking beyond Provence, they noticed that there wasn't as much of a focus on high quality rosé Champagne. "We're wine lovers on top of being winemakers," Perrin told Wine Spectator in 2021. "We loved great white Champagne, but we often felt the rosé counterparts were not at the same level."
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "This is a new classic rosé from Fleur de Miraval with rose petals, iron shavings and some orange peel. Medium-bodied with zesty orange peel, rose petal, chalk and hibiscus on the palate. Dried strawberry and iron. Lovely balance of acidity. Juicy. Lightly dry finish. Based on the proprietary reserve. White from 2019 and red 2019 blends. All Cote de Blancs and Pinot Noir from Vertus. October release. Drink or hold."
WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "An elegant Champagne, offering a fine, lacy mousse and a lively but still delicate frame of acidity for notes of apricot and wild cherry fruit, grated ginger and pink grapefruit zest. Simultaneously, this has an underpinning of toasted nuts, smoke and chalk adding richness and depth. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2026. 3,500 cases imported."
‘Petite Fleur’ opens on a magnificent bouquet of spring flowers, with notes of peony and hawthorn, interwoven with bright, luscious red fruit such as raspberry and redcurrant. The mouth is exquisitely juicy and full, illuminated with fresh, lemony citrus notes, ruby grapefruit and mandarin, and a subtly diaphanous finish. ‘Petite Fleur’ is the very essence of its place of origin: the magnificent terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, anchored in the noble purity of chalk.
Overall Rating
0 out of 5 Based on 0 Review
