New Stocks. Price £105.00. Tasting Notes: Draped in silky ruby-red, a fine string of bubbles envelopes Tsarine Rose. Aromas of wild strawberry and blackcurrant arouse the senses Body and finesse combine to linger on the palate with notes of red fruits and cream Grape Variety: 34% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier Two thirds of the blend goes through malolactic fermentation, one third is blocked – complexity allied with freshness. Ageing: 15 months on the lees Background Information: Chanoine Freres is the second oldest champagne house. The Chanoine family is one of the oldest in Epernay. In 1730, during the reign of Louis XV, the brothers Jacques-Louis and Jean-Baptiste Chanoine established a company trading in the wines of champagne under the name of Chanoine Freres. Also in 1730, the Chanoine brothers were granted permission by the town of Epernay to begin excavation of the very first champagne cellars. The Chanoine brothers, true forebears of today’s champagne business, travelled the length and breadth of Europe where, thanks to their industry and to the undeniable quality of their wines, they rapidly established a sound and valued clientele. Chanoine Freres have created the Cuvee Tsarine in honour of Tsarist Russia, the foremost export market for the wines of champagne during the XIXth century. The bottle design evokes the swirling spires of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and the opulence of pre-revolutionary Imperial Russia.