De Sousa unveils Cuvée des Caudalies Rosé

Champagne house De Sousa has introduced Caudalies Rosé, a pink Champagne for the summer created from a blend of Chardonnay (90%) and Pinot Noir (10%).

The Chardonnay has spent six months from February to August in small casks with regular bâtonné (stirring of the lees) to give it roundness and elegance, while the Pinot Noir has been matured for one year in barrels to gain structure. After the second fermentation, the wine is stored on slats for five years.

True to tradition, De Sousa practices a regular poignettage (turning the bottles to put the lees back in suspension). Finally to complete their maturation, the bottles rest a further year in the cellar.

For three generations, the De Sousa family have been based in the Champagne region producing Grands Crus (Avize, Oger, Cramant, Le Mesnil sur Oger). Their champagne has a recognizable character due as much to its old vines (many are over 50 years old) as to its naturally low yields and traditional know-how (use of small oak barrels and extended aging in typical chalk cellars, for example). The family also manages its vines organically and biodynamically. The winery also produces a Brut Rosé, classical, fruity and light.

Only 2,000 bottles of the prestigious Cuvée des Caudalies Rosé are available with a RRP in France of €59.50.

15 May 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor