Launois Pere et Fils – Oeil de Perdrix, NV

History of the family goes back to 1872 when the house of Launois Pere et Fils was founded in the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Now at their 8th generation. Located as well on the prestigious Côte des Blancs, the home of the very best Chardonnay grapes, , the vineyards are classified as “Grand Cru”: la crème de la crème.

Launois Pere et Fils – Oeil de Perdrix, NV

Oeil de Perdrix – Its natural gentle color, is originally coming from the soaking of the Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier skin into the grape juice for a few moments. Named Oeil de Perdrix, as this color reminds the one from the eye of the partridge. A lot of hunters, out there….

At the time, wines that were made solely from this variety of grape were amber in color, neither white or rosé and were therefore named “Eye of the Partridge” or “Oeil de Perdrix” in French, due to the color resemblance with this bird’s eyes color. Technically, the amber color was (and still is) coming from the soaking of the black grape skin into its own just pressed juice, called in French, the moût.

At this period, the transportation and storage conditions were quite basic. So it happens frequently that the Pinots grape, once harvested, stay long moment into huge baskets and was partly squeezed due to bad transportation conditions. Then, they quickly realize that grapes soaked into their own juice for few hours (in fact, the time needed for the daily harvest to be brought back home) give a gentle amber color to the moût and very interesting flavors and aromas to the future Champagne.

composition : 100 % Pinot Noir, from Coteaux sud de la Champagne, chalk soil

Brut, dosage : 8g/L.