Since 2013 our mission has been to help our followers find great wines of great value that are ready to drink tonight.
We know you have lots of questions about wine, because we get asked them all the time! For instance, if you’ve ever wondered whether rosé Champagne could be both delicate and structured (likely first and foremost on your mind :) ), our May wine of the month, the 2021 Rémi Leroy Champagne Brut Rosé, might be your answer. We tasted this standout from the Côte des Bar during Hi-Time Wine Cellars' Grower Champagne Tasting, where Jerome Brenot walked us through a flight of seriously character-driven bottles. Among them, this rosé shone for its clarity, quiet complexity, and sheer drinkability.
Before we dive into the wine itself, a quick word about the man behind it. Rémi Leroy is part of the new guard of Champagne growers reshaping the region’s narrative. Based in Meurville, in the Aube’s Côte des Bar, Leroy transitioned his family’s grape-growing operation into an estate-bottling domaine in the early 2010s, after earning degrees in oenology and viticulture. He farms just over 9 hectares of vines with a commitment to minimal intervention and maximum transparency. The terroir here is limestone-rich, like Chablis just to the south, and it gives his wines a distinctive mineral drive that sets them apart.
This Brut Rosé is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Meunier, with 15% of the Pinot Noir vinified as still red wine for color and structure. The dosage is a crisp 3 g/L, and the wine spent two years on the lees, giving it depth without weighing it down. In the glass, it shows a luminous salmon-pink hue—more elegant than flashy.
On the nose, it’s all about precision and restraint: blood orange, tart cranberry, crushed chalk, and the faintest hint of white flowers. The fruit is there, but it never steals the show. Instead, there’s a sense of shape and energy—like the aromas are etched into the glass rather than painted on.
The palate is where it gets quietly thrilling. That Aube limestone makes itself known through a firm mineral core, but the texture is generous, thanks to the fine mousse and careful lees aging. Tart cherry, raspberry, and a subtle herbal twist ride alongside bright acidity, making this Champagne both food-friendly and contemplative. It finishes long, dry, and slightly saline—clean and mouthwatering enough to call for a second glass.
At $62.95 from Hi-Time, this bottle punches well above its weight. It’s an expression of place, of thoughtful winemaking, and of Champagne beyond the big houses. Rémi Leroy is making wines with intention and identity—and this Brut Rosé is a prime example, making it our May wine of the month.
Learn more about Rémi Leroy Champagne, purchase their wine, and follow them here:
https://champagne-remi-leroy.fr/#presentation
@rleroychampagne
