champagne tasting in Reims



Last week I spend a week in Champagne tasting in different fairs and I visit some great grower champagne… Some review below:
 Benoit Marguet 
A new small négociant producer. Benoit Marguet is the son of the former Champagne Marguet-Bonnerave single estate (RM) based in Grand Cru village Ambonnay on the Montaqgne de Reims.
His new concern is a small négociant (NM) Marguet Père et Fils which buys in nearly all of its grape needs, partly from the remaining family vineyards and from a network of likeminded growers.
Benoit is also very involved with the viticulture at Launois, he married The daughter of Launois Severine.
This producer is committed to organic working and some aspects of biodynamics involving working by the phases of the moon. No herbicides or pesticides are used. That cultivation drives root systems deeper, making for better vine water supply as roots are forced to go deeper. He experiments with cover crop too, believing grass removing the nitrogen and helping the oxigen in the vineyards and that will affect fermentation with more complex flavours.
About 35% of the wines are fermented in wood, old Bordeaux barriques of 225L.
He is impressed with the theories of two southern Rhône winemakers Alain and Philippe Viret of Domaine Viret at St-Maurice-sur-Eygues who promulgate ‘cosmoculture’, which aims to apply the principles of organics and biodynamism to winemaking and all the organisation of a winery and not simply grape growing.
His production is divide in Cru, Cuvée and Lieu dit
Lately I try Les Bermonts from the vintage 2010 in the village of Ambonnay disgorged in 2014
Chalky white fruit with apple and pear, no oak involved but really complex with toasted nuts, coffee power and ginger lolly. Lots of tension and energy a 0 grAm residual sugar focus in the palate with precise length. The chalkiness "Le crau" is very evident #mineralwine#benoitmarguet #ambonnay

David Leclapart L'Astre from The millesime 2010 is a New Cuvee by this amazing Champagne pruducer. I just spend a week in Champagne and I tasted several cuvée and loved all the producer presenting their wines. However I did find this cuvée very distinctive is a Pinot noir 100% from the village of Trepail below the grand cru Verzy near Villers Marmery; this premier cru is know to be a Chardonnay dominant. This cuvée will replace the famous Rose de Saignee of Leclapart L'Alchimiste. The color is very interesting he did me fall in love with it, copper, bright orange and star bright the French use this term to describe it "Oeil de Perdrix". Obtained in a certain moment of the pressing of Pinot noir, David told me this it did coming because in all his Champagne the first Taille pressing are always involved which give an extra dimension to the wine and also due of the old vines. The nose was smoky, hash, burnt hay, herbal, bruised apple with hint of blueberry and gun flint character. Palate very textural concentrate with lovely crispy acidity and sensation of rock very terroir driving, energetic and tight 

 ...a masterpiece ... #mineralwine #terresetvins #leclapart


Benoit Dehu from Fossoy in Valle de la Marne is the man behind Pinot Meunier and crazy idea about champagne. This Coteaux Champenoise is somenthing between Chambolle and Cote rotie to use an Oxymora @origineschampagne #origineschampagne#benoitdehu

Alex Chartogne a young winemaker from Champagne in the Village of Merfy. This guy is full of energy and with very precise and profound theory on how express the terroir of his single vineyards and the soil of Merfy.. Amazed about him #mineralwine #merfy
Anselme Selosse visit

We need an extensive visit at Anselme Selosse cellar, we went trough all the barrel cave tasted different lieu fit from different barrique, and find the vin de claire quite burgundian or chablisiene style.
The wine in barrel weren't versus the sharping acidity of the early picking you except for a still wine in Champagne to be ready to go in a bottle for a second fermentation.
After the rating in the cave we went to taste all the actual cuvee of Anselme:


Initial a NV entry level if I can call like that.
"Le Bout de Clos" from Ambonnay
"La Cote de Faraon" from Ay in the  "previously called Contraste for the Italian market"

"Sur le mont" Mareuil sur Ay

"Le Chantereines" from Avize

"Chemim de Chalon" Cramant
"Le Carelles" Les Mesnil

after that we tasted is new project method ancestral Luibe

and to finish is Chardonany passerillage for personal consuming 
Lieux dit Tasting with some Solera at Anselme Selosse #mineralwine #avize
La Cave de Selosse #champagne #avize #mineralwine

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