Brad Pitt took a leading role in creating Fleur de Miraval rosé Champagne, said the team behind the new house and label, describing it as ‘not some new celebrity wine, but an authentic project’.
The first Champagne is set to launch on 15 October with an ‘official price’ of €340 per bottle.
Scroll down to see Simon Field MW’s tasting note
The very high expectations have been matched… and then some!
It builds on the success of Château Miraval, which since 2012 has been producing acclaimed Provence rosé wines and remains co-owned by Jolie-Pitt, as well as by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
As reported by Decanter.com in February 2020, the Miraval co-owners had joined with the Péters family in Champagne to begin a new project.
The Péters family, established in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, is internationally renowned for its Champagne, and especially the blanc de blancs style, which it has made from its own grapes since 1919.
‘Fleur de Miraval is the culmination of five years of work, research and tasting, done in the utmost secrecy,’ said Rodolphe Péters, who today runs his family’s 20-hectare (50-acre) estate, of which around 16 hectares (40 acres) lie in grand cru vineyard sites.
Fleur de Miraval is a rosé Champagne composed of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir.
Brad Pitt with a bottle of the new Champagne. Photo supplied by Champagne Fleur de Miraval.
In Champagne, there are two ways of producing rosé; either by adding a small proportion of red wine to the blend or by letting juice remain in contact with the skin of the grapes for a short time during fermentation.
This latter method, which is less common and is called rosé de saignée, is the technique used for this Champagne. It is the same method used to produce Provence rosé at Miraval.
‘This project is, first and foremost, an artistic venture, because producing fine wines is a form of artistic creation,’ said the Perrin family.
The rosé is aged on lees for three years in the dark cellars in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Champagne is particularly sensitive to ultraviolet rays and sunlight, and the Fleur de Miraval bottle is lacquered to prevent exposing the wine to light.
‘It is also a very exclusive wine, as only 20,000 bottles have been produced for the first edition,’ added Péters.
Brad Pitt is understood to be fully engaged in Miraval and Fleur de Miraval. Passionate about wine, he is believed to be actively involved in the development of wines under the Miraval banner.
The team said that Fleur de Miraval was the result of the work of three families passionate about wines, and with multiple and complementary experiences.
Editing by Chris Mercer. Updated 5th November 2020, to add Simon Field MW’s first taste
