2012 Raumland MonRose Grande Cuvee (100 months) Extra Brut

From the marl limestone soils of the Dalsheimer Bürgel, the 2012 MonRose Grande Cuvée Extra Brut is an unfiltered Pinot Noir vinified in 55% stainless steel and 45% in wooden barrels. Bottled in July 2013 and disgorged in April 2024 after 129 months sur lattes, this 2012 prestige sparkling wine opens with a deep, fresh and aromatic bouquet of cherries, red berries, mocha, nougat, vanilla and croissant. It's fascinatingly clear, deep and complex on the vinous nose that shows perfectly integrated oak nuances. Full-bodied, pure and fresh on the palate, this is a dense, rich and round, charmingly textured sparkling wine with good concentration, a serious, vinous structure and a long, intense and complex finish. The aftertaste reveals the perfectly ripe cherry fruit intertwined with a sweet fruit core and hints of bottle maturity. The finish is salivating and tensioned yet still a little nervous. 12% stated alcohol. Tasted in September 2024. "2012 was an outstanding year for sparkling wine, which is why we have been waiting for some of our sparkling wines for over 10 years to finally show their full potential," says Volker Raumland, who blends the MonRose Grande Cuvée, which is dedicated to his wife Heide-Rose, only in exceptional years. "When assembling the 2012 sparkling wine base wines, we were so impressed by our Pinot Noir parcels from the Dalsheimer Bürgel that we decided this year to present our MonRose exclusively with one grape variety—Pinot Noir."