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Wine Description
The Story
This single vineyard Champagne comes from the plot of Les Coulmets in Le Mesnil sur Oger where the 45 year old vines produce fruit of the finest quality. Produced in only the finest vintages and solely from Chardonnay grapes, it is made only from the juice of the first pressing (the finest juice) and is vilified in stainless steel tanks only.
After remaining in the cellar to mature for three to four years it is given only a light dosage of 6 grams of sugar and the resulting vintage Champagne shows extreme finesse. Champagne lovers who are in search of perfection will truly appreciate this wine.
To be served around 10 - 12 ° C so as not to kill the exceptional fragrances and these remarkable flavors.
The fine stream of steady pearls offer up a complex bouquet where dried fruit (raisins and figs)mix with candied fruit (oranges, pineapple and angelica) with a hint of its mineral origins. The palate is fine, extremely elegant and mineral and spicy, blond tobacco. The finish is fresh, citrus and mineral with hints of grapefruit zestiness. Another wonderful aperitif from this house but also a great partner to Parma ham and hazelnuts or even for Foie Gras for those that still eat it. We tasted the 2010 vintage just after this one and it just served to remind us how much more complexity will be derived from a couple of years in a cellar.
Vintage 2013
The Champagne harvest 2013– late, but potentially outstanding
It has been another strange year for Champagne, starting with a cold, wet winter, followed by a gloomy, chilly spring with a lot of rain. Vine development started two weeks behind the ten-year average, and never made up for that lost time.
Along the way came a hot dry summer, boosting fruit quality thanks to the most sunshine ever recorded in Champagne in July and August.
Rain came from 6 September onwards, which helped to fatten the berries - then fortunately stopped in time to allow good conditions for final ripening. Considering the lateness of the harvest, the weather this year was exceptionally good – almost summer-like with unusually warm temperatures and sunshine, and a wind from the east to help keep the grapes healthy.
It was a year of big differences in the timing of the harvest, with picking in the most precocious plots starting on 24 September and in the slower-ripening areas on 9 October. Most plots commenced harvesting in the first days of October – the latest start date seen in Champagne for two decades.
Bearing in mind the economic situation, Champagne's governing body has set the yield limit at 10,000 kilos per hectare. Most crus should achieve this yield, excepting only a few that were partially affected by millerandage (shot berries), hailstorms and botrytis.
An average potential alcohol of nearly 10% ABV and good acidity averaging around 8.5g H2SO4 per litre together suggest a promising balance for the eventual wine. The Champenois are already drawing favourable comparisons with the vintages of 1983, 1988 and 1998 – these too being the product of late harvests.
