Champagne Extra Brut
Empreinte Blanche 2012

The Champagne Empreinte Blanche 2012 by Eric Rodez represents the quintessence of purity and precision from the terroir of Ambonnay, one of the most celebrated Grand Cru villages of the Montagne de Reims. Entirely dedicated to Chardonnay, this wine is crafted from a blend of five historic lieux-dits – including Les Bermonts, Les Genettes, Les Champsaults, Le Noyer Saint Pys, and La Pierre aux Larrons – planted on deep chalk and red clay soils, with vines averaging around forty years of age. With Empreinte Blanche, Eric Rodez explores the brighter, more vibrant side of his village, translating into liquid form the delicacy and energy of a terroir largely known for Pinot Noir, yet capable of producing Chardonnay of remarkable minerality and tension.

The 2012 vintage is remembered in Champagne for its excellent phenolic maturity and for an almost perfect balance between richness and freshness. After a challenging start to the growing season, the latter half brought ideal conditions, resulting in wines of great concentration and longevity. In line with the Domaine’s philosophy, Empreinte Blanche 2012 is vinified and aged entirely in small oak barrels, with no malolactic fermentation, no filtration, and no cold stabilization, preserving the full mineral vibration of the soil. After tirage, the wine spends over 10 years on the lees, achieving rare depth and harmony. The final dosage of only 2 g/L, in Extra Brut style, completes a portrait of absolute precision and transparency, perfectly aligned with Rodez’s pursuit of purity.

On the palate, Empreinte Blanche 2012 displays a bright golden hue with silky, luminous reflections. The bouquet opens with notes of lemon curd, white peach, toasted hazelnut, and white flowers, followed by nuances of ripe melon, delicate vanilla, and a hint of wet chalk. The palate is tense, deep, and layered, carried by a chiselled mineral backbone and an ultra-fine mousse that enhances freshness. The finish is long and saline, with echoes of citrus zest, light honey, and sweet almond, all framed in a masterful balance of energy and creaminess.

A great Champagne that expresses the purity of Ambonnay’s Chardonnay with artisanal rigor and musical sensitivity, fully embodying the philosophy of Eric Rodez, a true master in the art of uniting light, matter, and spirit in every cuvée.