Score: 88/100
This sparkling cuvée by famous Languedoc producer Gérard Bertrand comes from terroirs located within the oceanic climates of Limoux, an area rather famous for the production of quality Crémants sparkling wines.
Code Rouge is Blanc de blancs blend, meaning it’s exclusively made from white grape varieties, namely Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and the local Mauzac.
The bottle’s packaging features the traditional symbols of Gérard Bertrand’s wines: the emblematic red colour of the bottle and the Alpha and Omega signs that symbolise “the endless cycle of nature“, hence its other name: Brut Éternel.
Notably, this wine is aged on its lees in bottle for a minimum of 36 months which is more than many non-vintage Champagne wines.
Tasting Notes
This Blanc de Blancs bubbly comes in a bright and shiny lemon-yellow color, but really an appealing yellow with some intensity.
The nose also displays some intensity, surprisingly nutty, like slightly toasted hazelnut tones dominating the profile. It smells leesy, a little buttery and creamy which you don’t necessarily expect from a wine coming in such a fancy packaging. You expect more of a simple fruit-driven profile. Yet indeed, it smells quite refined like a well-made bubbly properly aged in bottle on its lees for some decent amount of time!
Yes, there is some fruitiness as well, in the form of vibrant lemon aromas, peach with the stone notes that come with the acidic and juicy ones.
Really quite a nice smell!
The palate is dry with good round body, and just a touch of sweetness to balance it out well. The whole feels opulent and oily, but fresh from bursting lemon and lime flavors that come with a solid but smooth acidity.
Plenty of leesy nutty notes in your mouth as well, finish rounding off the sparkling wine, and add depth to the experience, and more importantly length to the finish on buttery walnut notes.
Overall
A very well made, perfectly balanced and well executed dry Blanc de Blancs sparkling that displays great composure from a combination of fruity and leesy flavors. Its aromatic power combined with its smooth and upfront oily feel make it easy to approach and understand.
Yet in it are solid complexity and refinement… for an easy-to-enjoy and appreciated whole.
Cheers 🙂
Pouring Code Rouge on Social Media
French Bubbles… ???
In Red Dress ??
Pretty Nice by @GBvins
Full #Wine review ?➡️ https://t.co/ddaXlu5SkA#winelover pic.twitter.com/aIqReHmL1V— Julien Miquel #Wine (@JMiquelWine) April 19, 2017
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