Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d’Enfer 2021 Cedric Bouchard

Tasting Note Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d’Enfer 2021

Initially, floral aromas emerge, followed by notes of orchard fruits and a subtle toasty aroma derived from the lees. Since it was disgorged in April 2025, the bubbles remain fine and the wine retains a youthful character. A lively acidity flows through the mid-palate, and the finish turns saline rather than sweet. It is fresher and more electric than Côte de Béchalin, yet less sharp than Les Ursules. It is already well-balanced, but has room to develop further.

Grape Varieties

A single grape variety: Pinot Noir. 

Cellaring Potential

Best enjoyed between 2028 and 2048. The acidity carries it. The 2021 vintage of Le Creux d'Enfer is best served at around 10-12°C; do not serve it any colder than that.

About Cedric Bouchard

Blending is the method Champagne generally follows. Cédric Bouchard does not blend at all. Since all wines produced at his Roses de Jeanne estate are made exclusively from a single variety, a single vineyard, and a single harvest, he is closer to a Burgundy grower than a Champagne house. He is based in Landreville, located in the Côte des Bar, which is part of the Aube region; thanks to its clay-limestone soil and relatively warm microclimate, Pinot Noir matures reliably here. Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc are also grown here; the latter is currently a rare variety in the Champagne region.

Roses de Jeanne started at 1.09 hectares and has now expanded to approximately 1.5 hectares, which is smaller than the area many wineries use to produce a single cuvée. Les Ursules, Côte de Val Vilaine, La Bolorée, and the remaining vineyards are harvested, vinified, and bottled separately. Although not certified, the farm practices biodynamic methods. Since there is no reserve wine, a weak year has nowhere to hide.

Terroir & Climate

Cedric Bouchard cultivates a total of 1.3 hectares across four vineyards located in Côte des Bar, the southernmost subregion of Champagne and its most recently incorporated area. The soil here is ancient, composed of limestone and Kimmeridgean clay; this limestone component offers two practical advantages. First, it drains quickly after rain, and second, it releases the heat accumulated during the day back into the night. This is precisely why Le Creux d'Enfer has a salty flavor and a stony texture.

Winemaking

The approach at Bouchard focuses primarily on subtraction. The base wine of Le Creux d'Enfer undergoes slow, cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks, which preserves the fruit's natural flavors rather than imparting the typical cellar-derived aromas. After that, nothing is removed or added. There is absolutely no fining, filtration, stabilization, or use of dosage (the sugar solution most houses use to top up bottles). It is a completely dry Brut Nature. That is precisely why the terroir of Côte des Bar comes through so clearly.

Food Pairing

Zero dosage means no sugar cushion, so the acidity does all the cutting. Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d'Enfer is best enjoyed with the following:

• Oysters, without sauce; omit the mignonette sauce
• Scallops, lightly seared on the outside in butter: In this case, the acidity is needed to balance the richness of the fat
• Roast chicken with a crispy skin
• Aged Comté, which adds a nutty flavor

This is a Champagne best enjoyed as an accompaniment at the dinner table rather than as an aperitif.