PRODUCT OVERVIEW/REVIEWS:
The Vesselle family has been making Champagne for over 300 years. Today Delphine Vesselle and her husband David continue the tradition, making grower Champagne in the village of Bouzy, famous for the quality of its pinot noir. The estate comprises 11 hectares and is planted to 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay, with a total production of under 7,000 cases. Perhaps their most unusual wine is the "Oeil de Perdrix" or "Eye of the Partridge", their revival of a defunct style: a copper-hued pinot noir Champagne.

The orange-pink color of this "Oeil de Perdrix," aka “Eye of the Partridge,” was historically the hue of almost all the Champagne made in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy in the nineteenth century. The wine’s singular hue is like the color of a partridge’s eye, also described as silvery pink. 100% pinot noir grapes are macerated briefly to extract color, then pressed. The wine is described by the Vesselle family as having notes of roses, lavender, delicate strawberry, and pomegranate. On the palate, it is bright and full-bodied, with a wonderful creamy mousse, all the while being elegant and well-integrated with a long, flavorful finish. Check out the press!

95 points, Wine & Spirits Magazine:
"In modern Champagne, any color that might bleed from the skins into the juice is usually filtered out, so the wine is clear. In this traditional style, known as "Oeil de Perdrix" or “Eye of the Partridge,” Delphine Vesselle allows the ripe pinot noir grapes from her vineyards in Bouzy to bleed color from their skins and doesn’t filter it out, hoping to preserve what she describes as the soul of pinot noir. Everyone on our panel was struck by this wine’s beauty, as its delicate touch seemed to connect with every scent and taste receptor at once. Auction consultant Craig Ganzer commented on that complexity: “I just kept taking notes,” he said. The pink color and the range of green herbs in the scent seem to resonate through the wine, taking its radish-like tension and formal structure in an understated direction." (12/2019)

93 points, Vinous:
"The NV Brut "Oeil de Perdrix" is floral, resonant, and super-expressive...it has so much to offer. The interplay of aromatic top notes and Bouzy richness makes for a compelling, open-knit Champagne that is an absolute joy to taste. This is such a gorgeous and totally distinctive Champagne." (12/2019)

90 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The latest rendition of Vesselle's NV Brut "Oeil de Perdrix" is excellent, displaying a beautiful hue that lives up to its name and equally appealing aromas of minty red apples, mandarin, and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium-to-full-bodied, with a youthfully frothy mousse, ripe acids, and an enveloping but racy profile, concluding with a saline finish." (4/2019)

PRODUCT DETAILS:
Producer Name:  Jean Vesselle
Old/New World: Old World
Country of Origin: France
Region: Champagne
Village/Vineyard/Climat: Bouzy
Quality Designation: AOC
Grape Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vintage: NV
Product Type: Wine
Wine Style: Sparkling Wine
Viticultural Features: Conventional
Winemaking Techniques: Methode Champenoise
Winemaker: Delphine Vesselle
ABV: 12.5%
Pack/Size:1 2/750 ml
Container Type: Glass Bottle
Closure Style: Champagne Cork & Cage