Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, February 25, 2023 - A blend of Arbanne (15%), Petit Meslier (15%), Pinot Blanc (15%), Pinot Gris (15%), Pinot Meunier (15%), Pinot Noir (13%) and Chardonnay (12%) from vintages 2014 and 2015. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. Bottled unfiltered on 27th of July, 2016. Disgorged in July 2018, after aging two years sur lattes. 12% alcohol, dosage 4,5 g/l. Total production 2124 bottles.

Pale lemon-yellow color. The nose feels crisp, youthful and surprisingly green-toned - even slightly vegetal - with aromas of grassy greenness, some chopped cucumber tones, a little bit of crunchy Granny Smith apple, light zesty notes of key lime, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of leesy yeast. The wine is crisp, lean and very acid-driven on the palate with a rather light body and bone-dry flavors of apple peel bitterness and chalky minerality, some grassy green tones, a little bit of key lime, light leesy notes of yeast, a hint of spicy herbs and a touch of steely minerality. The mousse feels fine, smooth and quite gentle, whereas the bracing acidity is anything but - lending a tremendous amount of energy and incisive structure to the wine. The bone-dry finish is crisp, lean and quite intense with a long, focused aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and grassy greenness, some vegetal herby notes, a little bit of nutty almond, light bitter notes of apple peel and chalk dust, a hint of key lime and a touch of leesy autolysis.

I was surprised how very lean, austere and even somewhat vegetal the wine was, given how the wine is based on the very warm 2015 vintage - however, I've been told that there are some very green 2015 Champagnes, so I guess this wine might've been one of those. There's great sense of freshness and intensity here, but instead of coming across as an interesting combination of all the allowed varieties in Champagne, this feels more or less like a barely ripe Blanc de Blancs without much depth or character. This is a nice, brisk aperitif, but very little beyond that. The wine could evolve and improve with further aging, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 44,95€.

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