This award winning Champagne is the epitome of the Castelnau Style.

Tasting Notes

To savor this Brut champagne is to embrace the refined, vibrant character of, complemented by a core of luscious yellow-stone fruits and the rich, full flavor of Pinot Noir. Crafted from a blend of wines from the current harvest and 30% reserve wines, this champagne, with its toasty nuances, exudes depth and generosity.

Production

Aged for a minimum five yearsi n the cellars, this champagne is the legacy of decades of skill and passion. It celebrates the rich diversity of terroirs, from which Chardonnay, the majority grape in the blend, is sourced, to impart its full freshness, depth of flavour and length.

Producer

Champagne Castelnau is located in the heart of Reims, and represents the very essence of the region. With 809 hectares of vineyards across 150 crus, a unique grape growers’ collective guarantees exceptional supply and consistently outstanding Champagne.

The House’s flagship champagne, Brut NV, (formally named ‘Brut Réserve’), showcases the prolonged ageing that defines the signature Castelnau style. This deliberate choice was introduced many years ago, in the pursuit of complex, feather-light champagne that would stand apart from the rest.  Aged for a minimum 5 years in the cellars, this champagne is the legacy of decades of skill and passion. It celebrates the rich diversity of terroirs, from which Chardonnay, the majority grape in the blend, is sourced, to impart its full freshness, depth and length.

Our Cellar Master, Carine Bailleul crafts our stylish wines and her talents have been widely acknowledged. In 2021, Carine was shortlisted for the IWC ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ award, and Champagne Castelnau has for the last two years been recognised within Drinks International’s annual list of the ‘World’s Most Admired Champagne Brands’.

Champagne Castelnau’s stunning new packaging design, with beautiful premium textured labels, provides a strong brand identity with unique features and highest quality Champagne cues.  Luxurious, glamorous, classic and traditional, the new design perfectly reflects the brand’s superior product credentials.

Specifications

Nuanced and Graceful

Tasting Notes

Réserve Exclusive Rosé is a delicately nuanced Champagne literally bursting with red summer fruit flavours. A delicious cavalcade of redcurrant, blueberry and raspberry notes, combined with a hint of Gariguette strawberries.

From within its refined and vibrant structure, its clean flavours are extremely delicate and nuanced.

The Réserve Exclusive Rosé is a refreshing and exuberant Champagne offering fresh, light fragrances, and just perfect for summer drinking.

Elaboration

Aged for 2 - 3 years in the cellars.

The freshness and structure of this Champagne blend combine to perfection with the expressive fruit of the red wine making up 16% of the blend.

The Chief Winemaker adapts dosage levels to each Champagne in order to enhance its flavours and aromas. The choice of reserve wine is crucial and takes into consideration a whole range of factors, including the proportion of cru wines, year of harvest, grape varieties, and vinification and ageing methods, in order to guarantee the intrinsic style of each Champagne.

Blend

A harmonious blend of 10% Chardonnay imparting elegance and finesse, 45% Pinot Noir for roundness and structure and 45% Meunier for fruitiness and soft, supple character.

Medals & Accolades

• Gold Medal - Mundus Vini Spring Tasting 2022

• Silver Medal - Rosé Masters 2022, Champagne Masters 2022, Decanter World Wine Awards 2022
• 92/100- Wine Spectator November 2022, James Suckling Tasting June 2022
• 15.5/20 - Gault & Millau - Guide des Champagnes 2023

Specifications

A great, well rounded, fruit-forward Champagne!

Tasting Notes

Nose

Aromatic notes of juicy pear and apricot on the nose are underpinned by more mature aromas of hazelnut and fresh bread. 

Palate

The texture is creamy and full-bodied with well-balanced acidity and plenty of bubbles!

Production

Grapes for this cuvée are grown in the lieu-dit of "Auche" around the village of Janvry which lies just to the west of Reims. Firstly they are pressed in small stainless steel vats, before being transferred to ceramic vats for 12 hours to allow for natural clarification of the juice. Next, the clarified juice is moved to large steel containers where it remains from September to March, during which time fermentation takes place before finally being bottled for the secondary fermentation and lees ageing. Dosage is between 9g and 10g per litre to give a richness of profile and this Brut Sélection is comprised of 60% wine from 2017 with 40% reserve wines from 2014-2016.

Producer

The Cave Co-opérative de Germigny was created in the early '60s by a handful of winegrowers who wanted to pool their resources and craft their own Champagne. They aimed to celebrate the local terroir - the western slopes of the Montagne de Reims. Today the Co-operative works 115 hectares of vineyards covering 40 different crus, of which 5 are classified as Premier Cru. The Co-op members remain passionate about their shared values of respect for nature, protecting their heritage and working together.

Awards

• Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 - Silver
• Decanter World Wine Awards 2023 - Bronze

Specifications

Pinot Meunier made for smashing in the sunshine. Such a gluggable delight from Mac Forbes!

Tasting Notes

Mac has chosen not to provide traditional tasting notes for any of his wines. His aim is that his wines hopefully capture vineyard life and vitality. As such the wines are constantly evolving. He believes that the only tasting notes that matter are yours!

"This is our second go at a Pinot Meunier. Like its predecessor (EB26) this light red is best served chilled on a balmy day….because sometimes, all you want is a refreshing thirst quenching red." says Mac.

Mac's had a few digs at Pinot Meunier over the last few years, it's as light as a feather. A crunchy nouveau light red that loves a little chill before being served.

Mac's got great feel when crafting Pinot Noir, same deal here with the cousin variety. Chill it down and drink in the warmer months! 

About Mac Forbes

If you love premium and artisanal Australian wine, Mac Forbes is a name you need to know. He’s not only one of the country’s most talented winemakers, but he’s one of the most influential spokesmen for promoting the concept of Australian ‘terroir’, believing that wine should represent a time and a place.

Mac specialises in single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet from the Yarra Valley. His wines are delicate and finely etched, characterised by subtlety and grace.

His Pinot Noirs are fine-boned, Chardonnays are loved by those who look for fruit purity rather than winemaking artifice in the variety, his array of off-dry Rieslings from the Strathbogie Ranges are some of the country's most unique.

And his ever-expanding range of experimental wines is a treasure-trove for the curious drinker and he is honestly one of the most genuine and affable winemakers you'll ever meet!

Specifications