Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for a glass of bubbly, assuming you need one to enjoy a glass of bubbles. What I enjoy most about traditional method sparkling wines is their freshness and acidity, relatively low ABV and of course those energetic bubbles. They are beautiful in your glass and pair with almost any kind of food from appetizers to a meal. Champagne Mandois Rosé Grande Réserve ticks all those boxes and it is a gorgeous color. But that’s not all, there are at least two more reasons to pour a glass of Champagne Mandois for Valentine’s Day.
I’m always interested in the story behind a winery. I want to know how big they are, if they are family owned and a bit about their viticultural practices and winemaking philosophy. Anytime I discover a family-owned winery following organic practices in the vineyard I want a taste. If the wines carry a certification on the bottle, that’s even better.
Mandois Family History in Champagne
Mandois family history in the Champagne region dates back to 1735 when Jean Mandois tended vines and became a cooper. By the next century, Victor Mandois was making wine from his 30-hectare vineyard in Épernay and selling it to négociants. In 1905 Victor-Auguste Mandois moved the Champagne house to Pierry, southwest of Épernay, where he also built cellars. The ancient cellars run under the local church and have been expanded by subsequent generations — they now reach two kilometers in length.
Claude Mandois, the ninth generation, continues the family tradition of winemaking today — putting to practice all he learned from his father and grandfather. Claude’s father, Michel, expanded the vineyards and oversaw planting between 1950 and 1975, and Claude has further increased vineyard size from 30 to 37 hectares (91 acres).
Most of the estate vineyards are farmed organically. In 2020 the work begun in the early 2000s by Claude culminated in 57 acres of vines closest to Pierry earning AB (Agriculture Biologique) organic certification. That’s quite an accomplishment considering only eight percent of vineyards in the Champagne region are certified organic. Champagne Mandois’ vineyards are among the largest certified organic vineyards in Champagne.
Vineyard plantings include Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Estate vineyards provide 70% of the grapes for winemaking from diverse vineyards in Champagne‘s Côte des Blancs, the Coteaux Sud d’Épernay, the Sézannais or the Côte des Bars.
Let’s Taste
We received this wine as a tasting sample.
Champagne Mandois Grande Réserve Rosé Brut NV — coppery salmon color with energetic bubbles. Aromas are toasty along with mixed berries. Flavors include raspberries, blackberries and toasty notes along with fresh acidity and mouth-filling bubbles. The finish is long and clean without obvious sweetness. 12% ABV. $59.99 to $69.99
Winemaking includes both saignée and blending to create the rosé. Fermentation took place in 90% stainless steel and 10% wood. The wine is a blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The base year is 2021 with the addition of 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages. Dosage is 8g/l of sugar and the wine spent over two years aging on the lees.
Aromas and flavors are so fresh. Berry flavors developed with time in the glass and over the several days we enjoyed this wine. Le Creuset makes the best champagne stopper we’ve found, making it unnecessary to consume more sparkling wine than we’d like at one time.
Champagne is the quintessential beverage for a celebration, but it can also become the celebration. Champagne Mandois Grande Réserve Rosé also celebrates family winemaking and organic viticulture. That’s a win-win for wine lovers who enjoy delicious wine and support family farming and organic viticulture.
Thanks to IT Public Relations for organizing our tasting.
Cheers!
