Brad Pitt and Alexis Blondel (right).Photo:Fleur de Miraval
Fleur de Miraval
Attendees of the 2024 Oscars will be toasting withFleur de Miraval Rosé Champagne— once named thebest in the world— and the brand’s winemaker is giving tips for how to enjoy like an A-lister from home.
Fleur de Miraval, which is the only maison dedicated just to champagne rosé, releases a new edition every year. The most recent is ER3, which will be served exclusively at the Oscars this month.
Alexis Blondel, a winemaker who joined the brand in August 2022 as assistant Chef de Cave in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, tells PEOPLE “it’s a perfect champagne to be poured at the Oscars.”
“In ER3, we use wine from like 2000 — vintage — and it has this beautiful almond-y creaminess, with this sweet citrus, white strawberry, beautiful fresh fruit,” Blondel explains of the champagne, which sells for $300 a bottle. “It’s extremely delicate, it’s beautiful.”
Brad Pitt walking through a vineyard.Fleur de Miraval
Blondel says this particular edition is perfect to pair with Japanese food for a full meal, but for those who want to serve it with smaller bites at an Oscars watch party, he suggests mac ‘n' cheese, shrimp cocktail or foods with tomato. He believes that these flavors will accentuate the light fruitiness of the champagne.
“The vibrancy is from the rosé, from the Pinot Noir, and all the Chardonnay from reserve-age Chardonnay,” Blondel says. “That’s what makes it so special. There’s always this duality between young Pinot Noir and old Chardonnay.”
Alexis Blondel opens champagne.Fleur de Miraval
Two tips Blondel has for anyone enjoying theaward-winning roséfrom home: pour it in a wine glass, not a champagne glass, and twist the bottle while holding the cork rather than the other way around.
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For those looking for a more affordable option, the newest bottle, Petite Fleur, is Blondel’s recommendation. Running for $100 a bottle, it is Chardonnay-based and tastes ”very chalky, very bright, and it has a perfect amount of acidity, balance and bitterness," he says.
“This would be the perfect champagne to pop open and serve at a dinner party with desserts,” Blondel says. Because it is already sweet, the bubbly would pair best with a less sugary treat, he adds.
“If you go for something based on grapefruit or citrusy, it works very well. Or just fresh berries or something of nice raspberry,” he says, adding that a “pure, refreshing” berry sorbet is often paired with Petite Fleur in upscale restaurants.
Brad Pitt with Fleur de Miraval.Fleur de Miraval
And if fans are looking for something simpler, Blondel proposes the champagne alone can be dessert.
source: people.com
