Rodez is based in Ambonnay (Grand Cru, Montagne de Reims), but almost any write-up of Rodez wines starts with the fact that he worked as an oenologist at Krug for many years. And there are similarities, especially in how his wines can balance power and grace like Krug’s. But Rodez is a small family winery operating at a much smaller scale, farming organically and biodynamically, and generally putting the grower’s touch on things. 

That shows itself beautifully on the rosé de macération. Rosé can be made two ways. Most is made by blending a little red wine into white wine (15%, on average). This technique (said to have been invented by the widow Clicquot) gives the winemaker much more control, allowing them to make a wine with a consistent color and level of red-wine flavors, year after year. Because the winemaker can add the red wine as a sort of seasoning, bit by bit, there’s little risk of overdoing things and making the wine coarse.

The other way to make rosé is to allow some or all of the juice to macerate on the red wine skins. This is, of course, how rose is made everywhere else in France (where blending red wine into white is illegal, more or less cheating. It gives the rosé more of the “stuffing” of the grapes: more of the tastes and aromas of the red grapes, more of their texture, and more of their color. 

Today this is called a rosé de macération (logically enough), but the technique is actually ancient and you’ll still sometimes hear the old name, l’eouil de perdrix (pheasant’s eye) used on a label or just to describe the color of a darker rose. Because many rosés of macération are just that: darker. 

Blending became the norm for making rosé champagnes that were delicate and pretty and, especially important for big brands, consistent. But Rodez works on a small enough scale that he, like many of our favorite growers, is able to make a rosé de macération that combines the best of both worlds.

Eric does this by allowing some of his Pinot Noir (about 45% in this vintage) to macerate on the skins for just 48-72 hours. The rest of the Pinot (about 30% of the final blend) he ferments as white wine. Then he blends in another 25% of Chardonnay, thus balancing the the pink flavors, aromas and textures, with the white wines’ cutting expression of the chalky soils

The blending doesn’t end there. He combines multiple vintages and reserve wines to paint a complete Krug-like multi-vintage picture. He stops malo for about 10% of the cuvée, to bring extra snap. And finally, he uses a tiny amount of dosage (2 g/L this disgorgement), like a chef uses salt: to bring all the elements together and allow the fruit and minerality to sing together in harmony. 

The result is a wine with enough red grape contact to have a vinous character and beautiful red‑berry fruit, as well as a faint, food‑friendly grip. But the blending of elements keeps the wine elegant, almost polished, and helps to integrate the complex elements. 

We’re thrilled whenever we get to drink this wine and would gladly have it on its own. But if you’re guessing that it’s stellar with food, you’re right. Raw or cured fish dishes are a no-brainer, but  you can take it further if you want. It has the structure, from the texture and acidity, to do wonders with almost anything: roast chicken, roast pork, even a burger would be elevated by a glass of Rodez. 

While Rodez achieves his remarkable balance through the artful touch of maceration, blending, and dosage, Henriet-Bazin takes the opposite path: they eschew dosage altogether and take advantage of the family’s heritage, letting time itself do the work. 

The Henriet family has been growing grapes in Champagne since 1906, but it was Claude Henriet who made the decision that would define the domaine's character for generations. In 1968 — when perpetual reserves were virtually unheard of in Champagne — he began setting aside a portion of each harvest to create what would become one of the region's oldest, continuous blending systems.

Every year the family would add a little wine from the new harvest, and draw down a little wine to blend in a new bottling. Just like in Sherry’s (bigger, more complicated) fractional soleras, this allows the young wines to integrate with the older wines more quickly, and to achieve the patina of maturity. 

Today, such perpetual cuvees are all the rage. The legendary Jacques Selloses has one dating back to the late ‘80s. When Henriet’s was already 20 years old. Think about that timing: 1968 was before the natural wine movement, before the grower Champagne revolution, before anyone was talking seriously about zero dosage wines. Claude was essentially betting that time and patience could create something that technique alone couldn't achieve. He was right.

Today, nearly sixty years later, that perpetual reserve forms the backbone of our wine. In fact, about 30% of the "Gaston & Louise" cuvée comes from this reserve, with the remainder from the current vintage.

This isn't just about age for age's sake. The perpetual reserve solves one of winemaking's trickiest puzzles: how to make a bone-dry Champagne (zero dosage) that feels elegant rather than austere. Most Champagnes rely on a combination of ripe fruit and dosage to integrate flavors and balance the wine's naturally high acidity. Take away that safety net, as Henriet-Bazin has here, and you need another path to harmony.

For Henriet-Bazin, that path is time. The perpetual reserve brings not just complexity but a kind of natural integration that only decades can provide. Flavors that might feel sharp or disjointed in a young wine are seamlessly woven together. The result is a wine that's bone-dry, but never harsh; structured, but never rigid.

This is a wine that rewards both immediate enjoyment and contemplation. There's the bright mineral drive you expect from Premier Cru Montagne de Reims fruit, but it's wrapped in layers of brioche, honey, and dried fruit that speak to the reserve's influence. The finish is long and delectable, with no dosage notes to cover the mineral signature.

Pour it as an aperitif and you'll appreciate its precision and lift. Pair it with food — anything from raw oysters to roasted poultry — and you'll discover how that backbone of acidity and the depth from the perpetual reserve create endless possibilities.