Saignée: the “by-product” of red wine, the full-bodied rosé

Saignée (meaning “bleeding off”) is the third method of making rosé. Here the rosé is really a by-product of red-wine making.

How is it made?

At the beginning of the fermentation of the red wine, the winemaker bleeds off part of the must (typically 10–20 per cent). The remaining red wine becomes more concentrated and denser, and the bled-off, already coloured juice is fermented separately into rosé.

What is the wine like?

Saignée rosé is generally darker, fuller and fuller-bodied than rosé made by direct pressing or short maceration.