Champagne Carole Haudot Rosé Brut NV (Base 2019)

We huddled in Carole’s living room and tasted her wines as we listened to her describe the way she has introduced new and creative methods to her farming and winemaking processes. For one, she toyed with tying the vines instead of pruning to control green growth and reduce mildew conditions. She’d also been aging the base wines on the lees in tank for years because she didn't own a barrel until 2021. All of these little ways of tinkering and rethinking the traditional practices take loads more time and effort, but it’s paid off entirely in the wines, which have a charmingly modern style and distinct point of view.

Carole took over the family estate in 2017 from her father, Charles Haudot, who’d been making wines for nearly 40 years. She has formal training as an agricultural engineer and oenologist, and spent time working in Italy and New Zealand to hone her expertise before returning to the family business. The estate covers roughly 4 hectares planted wholly to Chardonnay and certified with High Environmental Value (HVE3) and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC) certifications, focusing on eliminating herbicides and utilizing compost to protect the soils.

This wine is 86% Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Vitry-en-Perthois, with the rest Pinot Noir from the Côte des Bar with five years aging time on the lees and a Brut dosage to draw out the fullest expression of fruit while keeping things crisp and silky. This enthralling Champagne opens with aromas of cherry limeade and oatmeal scones, followed with rich flavors of green apple, hibiscus, and this subtle but entirely captivating note of fresh farmers cheese. It is magnetic, fresh, and so very elegant, from a producer whose dedication to her craft is inspiring, and shows across her small production of cuvées. Make some of this lovely Rosé Champagne yours to experience a bit of her magic for yourself!