Ratafia Champenois, Pierre Malingre

A silky, semi-sweet, amber-hued elixir from the heart of the Champagne region. While Champagne is world-renowned for its sparkling wines, Pierre Malingre’s Ratafia Champenois proves that the region’s producers are equally adept at crafting sophisticated fortified wines.

In the glass, this Ratafia displays a warm golden-amber hue with rich viscosity. The nose opens with intense aromas of orange blossom, ripe fig, and honey, evolving with air to reveal nuances of caramel, vanilla, and toasted almonds. On the palate, the wine is rich and velvety. Its natural sweetness (120 g/L) is seamlessly balanced by vibrant freshness, backed by flavors of dried fruit, gingerbread, and delicate spice that lead into a long, honeyed finish.

Key Highlights

• Origin & Terroir: Sourced from 9 hectares of sustainably farmed estate vineyards across Prouilly, Trigny, Gueux, and Janvry in Champagne.
• Winemaking & Ageing: Crafted from pure Champagne grape must fortified with grape brandy (eau-de-vie) to arrest fermentation and preserve natural sugars. Aged in selected oak barrels for added depth and complexity.
• Tasting Profile: Rich, velvety, and balanced. Notes of orange blossom, fig, honey, caramel, dried fruit, and warm baking spices.
• Storage & Shelf Life: Highly stable thanks to fortification. Once opened, the bottle keeps exceptionally well in the refrigerator for several months without losing character.

Food Pairing

• Aperitif: Excellent served alongside fresh melon or melon wrapped in cured ham.
• Desserts & Cheese: Superb with nut- or caramel-based desserts, candied fruits, blue cheeses, and seared foie gras.
• Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled between 6°C and 10°C in a small tulip glass or port glass (6 to 8 cl per serving) to focus its complex bouquet.

The Tradition of Ratafia Champenois

The name Ratafia stems from the Latin phrase Res Rata fiat ('The matter is settled'). Historically in Champagne, Ratafia was poured to celebrate finalized agreements or special milestones. By fortifying freshly pressed grape must with grape spirit, natural sugars are retained, yielding a rich, complex fortified wine enhanced by oak barrel maturation.

About Champagne Pierre Malingre

The family-owned estate Pierre Malingre manages 9 hectares of sustainably certified vineyards across Prouilly, Trigny, Gueux, and Janvry. Operating with profound respect for their terroir — holding official sustainable certification since 2023 — the family crafts fine Champagnes alongside this traditional Ratafia, which gained widespread acclaim on the Dutch podcast De Beste Smaak van Nederland.