Roger Brun, the Champagne des rêves

What defines the elegance of a woman?
The posture, the way she looks or her inner beauty? Probably all of them, and it is what makes her so unique.
And what about wine? When can we describe wine as elegant?
By the shape of its bottle, by its label or by the content? More than likely, by all of them.
It would appear that when speaking of elegance, in some ways women and wine are alike.

Throughout the years we might consider how garments have been sort of ID of a person revealing civil state, taste and mood. It is not just a simple need to dress the body or a desire to impress, but a way to express.
And what about the bottle of wine? Do we really believe that it was conceived just to contain wine? Or is there something more?
If we contemplate the sinuous shape of the aged-old amphoras for example or the roundish contour of the ’bouteille champenoise’ we can come to the conclusion that there was certainly the aim of embellishing wine. It was not merely a recipient in order to transport the wine, but a way to present it.

France, the Nation of refined taste and exquisite flavours, has given us two marvellous examples of elegance means: Christian Dior and Champagne, the Designer of Dreams and the wine of the ‘bien vivre’.
It was the 12th February 1947 when Christian Dior unveiled his first haute couture collection with a crowd gathered outside 30 Avenue de Montaigne eager to witness the designer’s debut. It was quite a revolution: offering a brand-new alternative to the boxy and masculine style of women’s fashion after the Second World War. For this, the collection was named ‘The New Look’ giving women a stupendously new concept of fashion silhouette.

Christian Dior was truly fascinated by sinuous and flattering lines often taking inspiration from historic periods to draw dresses that powerfully expressed an attitude: sculpted jacket, tight waist, full skirt and strapless gown made in sumptuous fabrics were his signature style.
Amongst others, he was particularly charmed by the Belle Epoque hourglasses silhouette from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The age, studded by cultural and artistic turmoils, witnessed as never before the exuberance of a wealthy social class that found Champagne the most iconic symbol to celebrate the ‘joie de vivre’.

I was wondering if Monsieur Dior had fashioned a Champagne’s label how it would be, and from which of his main passions he would have taken inspiration: historicism, travels or garden? Probably all of them, we will never know precisely, but I’m pretty sure he would be happy with this remarkable Roger Brun Champagne for having both a refined look and sublime flavours.
For those of you who truly admire the undeniable elegance of Champagne, it is my honour to introduce you to these wines.

Champagne Roger Brun – Réserve Familiale Grand Cru, Extra Brut Millésime 2004

70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Winner of The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly for 2019.
This vintage offers sublime aromas of honey and brioche. Accents of yellow stone fruits. The flavours are toasty yet zesty, ripe yellow stone fruits which permeate the palate with distinction. Creamy texture and nuttiness on the long finish.

Champagne Roger Brun -La Pelle Grand Cru, Extra Brut Millésime 2013

Produced in good years only from the vineyard named ‘La Pelle’ and vinified in little oak barrels. 100% Pinot Noir. An oaky and toasty Champagne with hints of vanilla, honey and brioche with a gorgeous complexity on the palate. This was a Gold Medal Winner in the Gastronomic category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Champagne Roger Brun Cuvée Des Sires Grand Cru, Brut Millésime 2014

Vinified in little oak barrels. 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay.
This Champagne is designed to age beautifully. It is rich yet complex, it exudes nutty and apricot aromas. In the mouth, it offers vanilla and honey flavours marvellously combined with creamy hues. This was a Silver Medal Winner in the Creamy category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

What is extra special about these wines…
You will indulge in their texture reminiscent of silk, the most feminine of all the materials. You will be ravished by the pureness of flavours and you will feel part of history by experiencing the savoir-faire of the Brun family, vignerons since before the 1789 French Revolution. A real living heritage.

Often women get a reputation for elegance by the grace of their movements as Monsieur Dior quoted. When it comes to wine, I would consider the act of lifting up the glass to the nose to enjoy its aromas as a very elegant gesture, if done slowly and carefully.
That is the moment when silence embraces you all around and the bouquet of the Champagne is about to conquer you with the infinitive and subtle nuances, taking you in the little town of Aÿ and its slopes above the Gothic Church of St. Brice; bringing you the secrets of the original 17th century Champagne.

Stefania Ruffo

Photo credit: Tania Volobueva
Location credit: L’Officina dell’Arte www.instagram.com/officinadellarte