Marsannay Rosé 2023 Domaine Charles Audoin

The Marsannay Rosé 2023 from Domaine Charles Audoin is far more than a Burgundy rosé, it is an institution. Marsannay is indeed the sole appellation in the entire Côte de Nuits permitted to produce red, white, and rosé wines under its own name, with rosé accounting for roughly a third of annual production. Domaine Charles Audoin's version is widely recognized as the reference rosé of the appellation, a wine of genuine substance, mineral, taut, and vibrant with freshness, made entirely from Pinot Noir by Cyril Audoin, whose energy and precision shine through in every glass.

Terroir and appellation

Marsannay-la-Côte is the most northerly appellation of the Côte de Nuits, sometimes called the Golden Gate that opens onto the legendary corridor of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Chambolle-Musigny. Charles Audoin, the domaine's founder, played a decisive role in securing the appellation's recognition in 1987 by selecting the village's finest parcels from the 1970s onward and vinifying them separately, pioneering the parcel-by-parcel approach in what was then an overlooked zone. Marsannay rosé, made exclusively from Pinot Noir, is known for its mineral and chalky character, its structure and backbone that set it apart entirely from Provence or Languedoc rosés, less seductive at first glance, but possessed of the depth and gastronomic weight that place it among France's great rosés. The parcels chosen for this rosé benefit from chalky, limestone-rich soils, a profile that yields the saline, stony minerality that is this wine's true signature.

Tasting profile

The colour is pale rose with faint salmon glints, bright and luminous. The nose is aromatic and immediately forthright, offering scents of fresh, fragrant red fruit, wild strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant, mingling with rose petal and lemon notes, with a subtle chalky minerality underlying all that speaks to the limestone origin of the terroir. On the palate, the acidity is lively, taut, and energetic, characteristic of Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits when vinified as rosé, with supple matter and pleasing depth, flavours of tart red fruit and a silky texture that unfolds with elegance. The finish is fresh, mineral, and persistent, with a length and definition that far surpass what one typically expects from a rosé. A wine of genuine gastronomic standing in its own right, best drunk in its youth or kept for two to three years.

The domaine

Domaine Charles Audoin was founded in 1972 by Charles Audoin and his wife Marie-Françoise, a qualified oenologist, beginning with just three hectares at Marsannay. Their son Cyril joined in 2000 and now oversees every aspect of the domaine, viticulture and winemaking alike. Organic certification was achieved in 2021, the culmination of deep commitment long before that date. Vinifications follow traditional and precise methods: 25 percent whole bunches, maceration periods of 14 to 18 days for the reds, and for the rosé a direct pressing of whole grapes to obtain the purity and aromatic finesse that define this cuvée. Bottling is done without fining or filtration, timed to a favourable lunar day. A domaine widely acknowledged as one of the most serious and consistent in the appellation, praised by Bettane & Desseauve and Revue du Vin de France for its reliability and standards from vintage to vintage.

Food pairings

This Marsannay Rosé will pair beautifully with fine oysters, scallops with lemon beurre blanc, grilled crustaceans, gravlax salmon with fresh herbs, fish terrine, or lobster salad. Its minerality and structure make it an ideal companion to refined Mediterranean cooking, seasoned beef tartare, or a plate of fresh goat cheeses. Served between 10 and 12 °C, it will reveal the full tension, freshness, and chalky minerality of one of Burgundy's great rosés.