Based in the tiny village of Noé-les-Mallets in the Aube in the southern region of Champagne, the family grew high quality grapes for other producers in the northern regions of Champagne for decades before Louise's grandson Francis began making and bottling his own wines in the 90s. Today the estate is run by Francis' daughter Delphine, and she is making incredibly vinous, terroir driven Champagnes that epitomize the style of wines that make the Côtes des Bar such an exciting place in Champagne.
The wines we have today have been stored in pristine conditions in the family's cellars in Champagne and were only released in tiny quantities this year. The assemblage is composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, and the style is very vinous and mineral-driven with ripping acidity accompanied by notes of dried lemon, chamomile, roasted almond, honey, marzipan, white button mushroom and parmesan rind. No dosage is added to keep the wines lean, focused, and to allow the underlying Kimmeridgian chalk based terroir to shine. To balance all this electric acid and minerality the vin clairs are matured in barrel for nine months, and the wines rest on their lees for a minimum of five years for added richness and body. The resulting wines strike the perfect balance between textural autolytic notes of brioche and cheese, nutty and rich oxidative undertones, and briskly chalky minerality with searing acid.
These wines represent an incredibly rare opportunity to enjoy mature, perfectly stored Champagne from a rising superstar in the region, and they are perfect for special holiday celebrations of gifts. We only received one case of each, so act quickly to secure these beauties.
2002 was a warm ripe year, and one of the greatest vintages in the last three decades. The wines are powerful and exuberant but still maintain a throughline of freshness.
