Olivier Cazenave Echappée Bel Rosé NV (750ml)

100% Merlot
Fermentation Stainless steel, Indigenous yeasts
Aging Varies
ABV 13.5%
Farming Methods Organic certified & Biodynamic (not cert)

The Echappée Bel Rosé is a truly unique rosé, arguably the only one of its kind. Olivier sources Merlot from a trusted farmer who has a plot of Grand Cru vines in St. Emilion specifically for this rosé. The grapes are hand-harvested before the sugars become too high and brought to the cellar for a natural start to fermentation in stainless steel. After only one day, the grapes are pressed, giving the wine a gorgeous kiss of color, and then moved into 6-year-old Allier 600-liter barrels to continue fermenting. The wood imparts interesting aromas and tannins to the finished wine, which completes its fermentation after approximately 15 days. The wine is never vintage dated, which is brilliant because good rosé should be enjoyed for a couple of years and not just immediately after harvest. Although it is always single vintage, there is no obsessing over its "correct" vintage. The aromatics are very pretty, full of soft berries, red plums, a hint of wood, and cherry cordial. Small strawberries explode in the mouth, and the balanced acidity adds to the texture of the wine with a long and delicious finish.

Biodynamics is truly a new adventure where our conception of the rational and the explicable must evolve and expand towards other influences, those of the cosmos of course, but also by considering that everything around us is alive and communicated. - Olivier

(Our project) Is the sum of a thousand tiny details that, with the Dordogne river, ‘flows beautifully’ before our eyes, offering us every hour a new light and radiance

Chateau de Bel is the idyllic estate that houses the visionary project and wines of ‘Vins Olivier Cazenave.’ Olivier and his wife Anne married in 2003, the same year they embarked on their lifelong dream of buying a rustic piece of property and a home on the picturesque edge of the Dordogne River, with a promise to create an estate and wines that are truly distinct from others. Their commitment to humility and common sense has led them to a place where the wines express their vivacious personality, endless creativity, and pure expression of terroir, all the while being fully dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming since 2016. Starting with just 4.5 hectares, they have expanded over the years by acquiring small neighboring plots, and now farm around 8 hectares of vines, producing about 60,000 bottles annually through their various labels, appellations, and diverse projects. Olivier has a deep passion for Muscadelle and aims to expand wine drinkers' palates with this grape, while also showcasing his special ability to allow Merlot and Cabernet Franc to sing in unique and novel ways compared to his regional counterparts. The cellar is compact, the process is meticulous, and the focus is on crafting exceptional yet unpretentious Bordeaux for the world to rediscover anew.

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