Jean Vesselle - Oeil de Perdrix Brut NV (750ml)

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~~Price: $64.99~~

Sale Price: $59.98

Producer	Jean Vesselle
Country	France
Region	Champagne
Varietal	Champagne Blend
Sku	13956
Size	750ml
ABV	12.00%

Dom Perignon - yes, he was a real winemaking monk! - pioneered the making of "white" Champagne from "black" Pinot Noir grapes in the 1600s. The techniques were refined by the large houses in Champagne's northern regions, but somehow never reached the little town of Bouzy in the south. When Fulgence Vesselle and his neighbors started making their own Champagne around 1900 (having sold their grapes before), they slightly over-pressed and ended up with a wine that was neither all white or full pink - in fact, the pale orange pink of a partridge’s eye or Oeil de Perdix.

The style faded from view around mid-century, but in 1972 Fulgence's grandson, Jean Vesselle, discovered a few bottles of the old wine hidden in a wall. He was astounded by the color, freshness, and lovely aromas of this old-style wine and, beginning a few years later, launched his own interpretation of Oeil de Perdix. It's 100% Pinot Noir pressed lightly pink and aged 3 years in bottle before release. History never tasted so good!

Wine & Spirits: 95 Points

“In this traditional style, Delphine Vesselle allows the ripe pinot noir grapes from her vineyards in Bouzy to bleed color from their skins and doesn't filter it out, hoping to preserve what she describes as the essence of pinot noir. Everyone on our panel was struck by this wine's beauty, as its delicate touch seemed to connect with every scent and taste receptor at once. The pink color and the range of green herbs in the scent seem to resonate through the wine, taking its radish-like tension and formal structure in an understated direction.”

Vinous: 93 Points

"The salmon-colored NV Brut Oeil de Perdrix is another utterly delicious Champagne from Vesselle. Dried rose petals, orange zest, white pepper and mint give much of its high-toned aromatics, but there is plenty of depth to the fruit as well. Deceptively medium in body, the Oeil de Perdrix possesses striking finesse and exceptional overall balance. Oeil de Perdrix is an old-fashioned style of Blanc de Noirs with just a touch of color from a very short period of skin contact at pressing. "

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