Emmanuel Brochet, Rose De Saignee, NV

Emmanuel began working a portion of his family’s holdings in 1997, bottling his first wine in 2002. He has a single parcel of vines on a gentle southeast facing slope in the lieu-dit of Le Mont Benoit, which lies on Cretaceous chalk under about 25cm of 'argilo-calcaire' topsoil. The parcel is planted with all three major varieties and the oldest vines date from 1962, although about half the parcel was replanted in 1986, following the devastating frosts of the year before. In 2008 Emmanuel began the process of organic conversion. "The way I came to organic farming was not through any sort of militant philosophy, but through the pleasure of wine", he says. "If you take pleasure in what you do, and if your environment gives you pleasure, your work will be better. It’s a question of harmony." He believes that it has improved the overall quality of his wines. "I find more minerality in them and a richer expression. The wines are more complex, with more aroma, and extra length on the palate." Yields are restricted but Emmanuel believes that if too low it creates an unbalanced wine, one that lacks freshness. The grapes are always picked at over ten degrees of natural potential alcohol, and the musts are never chaptalized, as he doesn’t like the way it changes the aromas of the wine.