A Saignée with Poise and Elegance
2006 Ledru Rosé de Saignée Grand Cru
The Only Bottles in the U.S.
"A gripping portrait of minerality." - Peter Liem
It's only a week until Christmas; holiday madness is nearing its peak - we'll get to the point: Marie-Noëlle Ledru is making some of the purest and most finely detailed wines in Ambonnay. This is really saying something, as Ambonnay is holy terroir for Champagne, right up there with Cramant, Mesnil and Verzenay.
The magic of today's bottle is the fact that it is a "rosé de saignée" with LIFT, with energy and finesse.This is one of the best saignées we've had in a long time. The bottle negotiates a seriously structured vinosity with incredible poise and textured elegance. It calls to my mind a Volnay with some age on it. (More below on the method of "saignée.")
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Yet the Burgundy comparison, while easy and partially accurate, may do the wine an injustice. The streak of chalky minerality that courses through the wine emphatically reminds you without qualification that this is born from Ambonnay.
The show starts by offering exuberant dark cherry fruit that's complicated by earthy tones of crushed leaves and an elusive, dark minerality. On the finish, that chalky texture kicks into high gear. Or, as Liem says so poignantly: "There’s a wonderful tension between the deeply-toned, almost sauvage fruit character and the silky, refined texture, and the finish turns increasingly chalky as this moves back on the palate."
But as they say, put your money where your mouth is: We bought every single bottle of this wine available - these are the only bottles you'll see in the States and at $64.95, we think this is a serious deal.
It's probably worth pausing here to explain exactly how this wine is made, to delve a bit deeper into what "saignée" really means. Rosé Champagne can be made by the following two methods: one is simply blending a bit of red wine into the white. This is the easier method and these sorts of Champagnes thrive on their finesse and lightness.
The second method is saignée; these rosés are made by macerating the skins of the red grapes for a short time in the juice itself, to extract some color and texture before pulling the juice off the skins. These sorts of rosés tend to show more extroverted, deeper and more complex red fruits, they are more texturally lavish and normally more structured as well.
This can be a very good thing, but there is a lot of talent, a lot of instinct involved in the winemaking. At times, frankly, those that see skin-contact can come across a bit heavy. Not Ledru's.
As can be imagined, this is a rosé Champagne that's very much suited to the table - the sort of wine that will take an elegant holiday meal to an even loftier level.
Our parcel is in stock and ready for tippling, but take note, again, this is the only parcel in the U.S. - we expect demand to be considerable. Quantities are limited: Ledru is "Grower Champagne" in the strictest sense of the phrase. At this estate Marie-Noëlle Ledru tends to just about every minute detail herself. She is responsible for the vineyard work; she is the artisan in the cellar; she hand-disgorges each and every bottle. She even does the paperwork.
To order, please click below, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits