Camille Braun Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut NV

Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut, from 100% Pinot Noir, delights the eye with its beautiful pale rose hue, lively persistent mousse, and expressive nose and flavor. Delicate hints of ripe cherries, strawberries and red fruits caress the nose, while the palate is subtle, pleasantly round, and delightfully balanced. From the first sip until the very last drop, Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut presents itself as a true crowd pleaser. Elegance, purity, and a delightfully graceful finish make Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut a welcome anytime companion. Enjoy this special Crémant d’Alsace well chilled (38°-40° F) now and over the next couple of years. Enjoy!

The Camille Braun Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut provides the perfect wine to drink at any time. It glides gracefully over the tongue and charms the mouth with its delicate mousse, making it both an ideal aperitif and a welcome companion to a host of tasty morsels. Consider soft creamy cheeses, freshly picked apples and pears, crudités, and pâtés as ideal starters. Grilled or baked salmon over a bed of sautéed fennel makes for another delightful companion to Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Rosé. Flaky white fish, poultry, ham, pork, and grand salads provide equally satisfying companions to Camille Braun’s food-friendly Crémant d’Alsace Rosé. Spring afternoons or simply the need for a respite from the weather-stained cares of life provide equally compelling interludes in the company of a glass or two of this charming Crémant Rosé. Bon appétit!

Note: Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut is a delicate dry sparkling wine made with the Méthode Traditionnelle or Champagne Method. It is produced like a white wine with no barrel ageing and only minimal skin contact, which from Pinot Noir provides the wine’s rose colored blush. And like Champagne, Crémant is a wine that is under pressure. It should always be well chilled before opening. Always exercise caution when opening a bottle of sparkling wine. Point the bottle away from people and objects. Use a clean towel or cloth to firmly grip the bottle. Gently remove the wire stopper while firmly holding the cork in place. Then with thumb and forefinger, remove the cork slowly from the bottle. Do not let the cork fly. Enjoy!

The Braun family traces its presence as farmers and wine growers in Alsace back to 1583. Since then, generations of wine growers have followed one another. With the purchase of a 17th century farmhouse in Orschwihr in 1902, the Brauns established their own family vineyards and domaine.

Orschwihr, located in southern Alsace along the renowned Alsace Route des Vins, has enjoyed fame since the Middle Ages for the high quality of its wines. In 1960, Camille Braun took over the family farm and began to focus exclusively on wine production and the bottling and sale of the property’s own wines. Beginning with just 2.5 hectares, the domaine has grown to 15 hectares (44 acres) of vineyards in and around Orschwihr and Uffholtz. Camille’s son Christophe took over the family business in 1987 and today runs the domaine with his charming wife, Chantal. The domaine consists of some 30 parcels, including the Grand Cru site Pfingstberg, documented since 1299, and single sites Bollenberg, Lippelsberg, Effenberg and Meissenberg. The farming at Camille Braun has been certified organic for more than 20 years and has been certified biodynamic since 2005. All the farming methods employed at the estate respect the environment and the character of the natural terroir.

Production at Camille Braun is tiny, just over 8,000 cases, due to natural farming methods and strict attention to quality. The result has been numerous awards, including the Prize for Excellence at the Concours National, awarded for the consistent quality of all the estate’s wines, and a Gold Medal at the Concours National des Crémants for their Crémant Brut (a traditional Champagne Method sparkling wine). Camille Braun recently added a delicious Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut (this month’s feature) using a neighbor’s Pinot Noir that has become the rage. In addition to producing outstanding Crémants, the Brauns also fashion one of Alsace’s finest Pinot Blancs in its Nature Pinot Blanc from 100% Auxerrois. Auxerrois is a traditional but distinct Alsace grape that is often blended with Pinot Blanc in both still and sparkling wines. Both Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc are legally entitled to be called Pinot Blanc. Small amounts of Sylvaner and other Alsace varietals are produced, too, including tiny lots of Grand Cru offerings – all worth seeking out.