Devaux D Rosé NV

What

A house founded in 1846 and eventually sold to the cooperative Union Auboise, the largest grower in the Côte des Bar.

 
Where

Bar-sur-Seine, Côte des Bar; the cooperative covers 1,400+ vineyard hectares but only ~100 are used for Devaux.

Why

Though it is a cooperative, and a large one, the investment in quality – particularly in the “Collection D” range – easily rivals that of a house or grower and their access to vineyard resources is formidable. Only the cuvée (first portion of the pressing) is used. The red wine comes from old vine pinot noir from Les Riceys, Champagne’s southernmost village famed for still rosé. Reserve wines are aged in large oak casks.

What else

They compare themselves more to the vineyards of Chablis and Burgundy than elsewhere in Champagne and specialize in pinot noir.

Tasting Notes

Overall, it’s clean, bright and assertive with fine, cedary oak, flintiness and yuzu fruit. The palate is super energetic with blazing acidity and a pleasantly powdery attack. The fruit starts to suggest pink grapefruit but only just. The acid and fruit linger on the palate, with base notes of conifer resins and oak.

Try It With 

Delicate crustacean dishes.

When To Drink

Apéritif

Perfect For

Your tennis or golf buddy.

Tatler Tip

This stays bright and classy under a stopper for several days (you just need a fridge tall enough to accommodate the elegant flute bottle).

TL/DR

Impressively elegant, classy rosé.

Supplier

Summergate Fine Wine