Pierre Bertrand Champagne Premier Cru
A small family grower in the famous village of Cumieres in the Marne valley. Pinot-dominated like most wines from this village, it's deep copper/gold and wonderfully peachy and lush, explosively juicy, and cracking value. The extended bottle ageing of this wine (6-8 years) is way longer most NV Champagnes and lends the wines its weight and character. But it's also fresh and lemony which is such a great champagne
Wine introduction:
Grape varieties : 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier.
Second bottle age: 48 months.
Aged base wine : 50%.
Process : stainless steel tank.
Added sugar : 7 g/L.
Malolactic fermentation : depends on the vintage.
Terroir : The Marne River runs through the Champagne region. Since ancient times, it has been the most important traffic artery in northern France, sending champagne loved by celebrities and nobles to Paris. The scenery along the coast is charming and the development is quite prosperous. In the east, near Aÿ, the chalk soil of the Hans Mountains continues, which is suitable for planting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. To the west, the clay-to-sand ratio in the soil increases, making it the most suitable growing area for Munier. A number of smallholder champagne producers produce excellent champagnes, mainly Munier.
Vinification : The winery uses only the Cœur de Cuvée (18 hl) part for vinification; and in order to assess the ratio of sugar and acidity in the grapes, the winery cooperates with the laboratory to analyze the base wine of each vintage. The results of the analysis allow winemakers to make pre-selections and blend ratios for different vintages.
A selection of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier from the slopes of Cumières Premier Cru and Hautvillers Premier Premier Cru. Add 50% aged base wine, ferment in a stainless steel tank for the first time, choose whether to carry out lactic acid fermentation according to the year, and age for a second time in the bottle for 48 months.
The nose is elegant and captivating, with flavors of ripe citrus, pear and papaya, with a hint of pastry. Pleasant acidity reflects the refreshing taste, with a little lemon fragrance, the overall texture is balanced, and the aftertaste is fine and long.
In the Decanter champagne tasting held in June 2017, this champagne beat 99 other terroir champagnes, including Larmandier Bernier and Pierre Péters, and became the wine with the highest score on the spot, with a score of 98 points!