Françoise Martinot (Charles Dufour), “Bistrotage Rosé B.11 Affinage Prolongé”

Some wines demand patience; others reward it. This one requires it. A decade in the making, this is Charles Dufour’s purest expression of Pinot Noir, drawn from three distinct sites in Chervey (Les Copies, Val Herard, Bicheret) and left to evolve in the deep quiet of the cellar.

Certified organic and made with nothing but native yeasts, it was vinified in a mix of steel tank and Burgundy barrels, untouched by sulfur or dosage. The entire 2010 vintage spent a year on lees before tirage in October 2011. Then, the long wait—ten full years sur lie, time layering the wine with texture, richness, and quiet intensity. Finally disgorged in November 2021, its moment had come.

The ‘AP’ stands for affinage prolongé—extended aging—but it’s more than just a technical term. It’s an ethos, a belief that some things can’t be rushed. A Champagne of patience, precision, and profound depth.