Grand Vintage
Rosé 2009

Following one of the coldest winters in 15 years, springtime was free of frost but particularly rainy with episodes of severe storms. All of these issues were forgotten in mid-July thanks to the consistently hot, dry, sunny weather. The harvest took place during the habitual dates, beginning on September 12th in Aube and in the Epernay area to the 28th in Verzenay. In the end, the health of the grapes was exceptionally good, even better than in 2008, with no signs of Botrytis. The combination of an ideal climate and a moderate yield of 12,000 kilos per hectare created conditions for a high degree of ripeness, both in terms of sugar content and acidity, yet neither in excess: relatively even with regard to the red grapes (9.8 % potential alcohol / 7.5 total acidity) and slightly riper for the Chardonnay grapes (10 % potential alcohol / 7.2 total acidity). Rather similar to 2002. Interestingly, the fact that these indicators remained balanced throughout the harvest was a sign of perfect maturity levels and well-ordered picking schedules.