EDITORS' PICKS

Each month our editorial team tastes a lot of wine, but not all of it makes it onto the page. So here's our in-house pick of other great wines we've tried

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The Bordelais Champenois

NATALIE EARL

The Rothschild name carries an air of prestige. So it's surprising that Champagne Barons de Rothschild has flown under the radar for the past 20 years. It was founded from scratch in 2005. The three branches of the Rothschild family (Philippe Sereys de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild, Ariane de Rothschild of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, owner of Château Clarke, and Saskia de Rothschild of Château Lafite Rothschild) sought a joint venture, with Champagne being a notable absence in their collective portfolio. The Bordelais didn't barge into this insular region, guns blazing, but suspicions were still raised among the Champenois over the venture's seriousness. So how did they win them over? By acknowledging their unfamiliarity with Champagne's terroir and surrounding themselves with local expertise. Avize-born Guillaume Lété joined in 2011, becoming cellar master in 2016, aged 27. He has grown alongside the house, experimenting with oak and refining which terroirs to use and how to manage the reserve wines. While the Rothschild name undoubtedly aided market entry and sales, cross-regional respect, human connections, collaboration and continuous learning have enabled the house to establish itself as an exciting addition to the landscape, with a young palate at the helm.

champagne-bdr.com

Rest, relaxation and rosé

TINA GELLIE