Rosé Assemblage vs. Rosé Saignée

Centuries ago, Champagne was the drink of kings. That is, until the wines of Burgundy began to pique their royal interest. To compete with these Burgundian reds, winemakers in Champagne began making rosé. At this time, rosé bubbles were very light in color, featuring just a kiss of pink. They were referred to as “Oeil de Perdrix,” French for “the eye of the partridge,” because the color of these blush bubbles closely resembled the ring of pale pink around the game bird’s eyes in the throes of death.

In Champagne, France, this style of Champagne still exists; however, winemakers now use two different methods when making this delightfully cheery style. One method is called rosé assemblage—a blend of mostly white with a touch of still red wine added before second fermentation. Though blended rosés are less common outside of Champagne, the technique remains a traditional and very common way in Champagne to make celebratory pink cuvées. Rosé Champagne made using the assemblage method is typically soft pink in color with lighter, brighter tones on the palate.

The other method is called rosé de saignée. “Saignée” means “bleeding” in French, and according to this method, rosé is made by squeezing the juice from red-skinned grapes after they have had a chance to rest on the skins for a bit, bleeding color and structure into the juice from the skins. Winemakers choose to let the juice rest with the skins anywhere from two hours to two days. Red wine is made in a similar way, but the juice is left with the skins for much longer periods of time, imparting a darker color and more tannins. The saignée method produces pink bubbles that appeal to red wine drinkers. It also results in deeper hues, more structure and an added concentration of aromas and flavors. 

At fatcork, we are big fans of both rosé Champagne styles. If you love rosé, we encourage you to taste both styles side by side to learn more about how each method informs the Champagne and delights your palate. As with all fatcork cuvées, each Champagne in this curated bundle is meticulously hand-crafted and completely unique. We hope you are ready to fall head over heels with these sensational sparkling pinks. 

Cheers,
Team fatcork

Rosé vs. Rosé Saignée Tasting Kit

In this cheerful package of pink bubbles, you will discover two distinct expressions of rosé Champagne — rosé d’assemblage and rosé de saignée. They’re both winners in fatcork’s book.

Included:

• Single bottle of Didier-Ducos La Rosée
• Single bottle of Piollot Les Protelles Rosé Saignée
• Tasting kit guide
• fatcork booklet
• Interactive tasting template for each bottle in the package
• Handy dandy aroma & tasting wheel
• Fatcork tasting notes and producer information for each bottle in the package
• Fatcork Champagne stopper
• Pencil