Why it matters
The producer
Champagne Marizy Père & Fils is a family Champagne house in the Vallée de la Marne. Fernand Marizy created the business as a winegrower, and the house works through terroir and tradition. Its named cuvées pair Grande Réserve Brut Premier Cru with Rosé de Saignée Brut Premier Cru, placing a Chardonnay led Brut beside a Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier rosé.
The house keeps its range compact. One cuvée is built around Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while the other uses Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in rosé form.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The Vallée de la Marne is the regional home of Champagne Marizy Père & Fils. Both cuvée names carry Premier Cru. In Champagne, Premier Cru is a classification within the cru system, so it marks a classified place level on the label rather than a grape variety or sweetness category.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Rosé de Saignée uses a short period of skin contact. The must soaks with grape skins for a few hours, extracting color and tannin before fermentation continues. This gives the rosé a deeper color and more tannin than a rosé made without skin contact.
Grande Réserve includes reserve wines in its blend. The 2008 harvest contained 34% reserve wines. Reserve wines are base wines held from earlier harvests and used in a later blend, a Champagne technique that can add continuity between harvests.
Wines to know
The range in view
Grande Réserve Brut Premier Cru is the house's Brut cuvée, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Rosé de Saignée Brut Premier Cru is the rosé, made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The lineup therefore has one Brut cuvée and one Brut rosé. The first is defined by its Chardonnay led composition; the second by its red grape varieties and rosé production method.