Love Brochet, love Meunier, and even then, this was surprisingly brilliant. Old vines from Le Mont Benoit. The nose was mega generous and just killing it here - bruised red apple, spiced pear, roasted nuts and brown caramel. Reminded me of Ulysse Les Maillons and Selosse Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos.
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100% Pinot Meunier from a single plot, aged for 11 months in mainly old oak barrels, and left to age for 5 years on the lees. Minimal dosage making it Extra Brut, with a total production of 1272 bottles. Brochet has become quite hyped and hard to get.
The nose is what Meunier is all about. Mature/bruised apple, sweet red apple, candied/pickled lemon, nuttiness, heavy autolytic character and oxidized feeling to it but there's a light chalk tone with this breeze of ocean air as well as some melted butter.
And then you get fooled. Because this is 2012, baby. Where did the deep and rich Meunier go? Red and green apple, candied lemon, lemon zest and an insane fruity citrus acidity cutting through all bullshit. But in the back there's still all that toasted brioche, almonds/marzipan, melted butter and a slight grapefruit bitterness. Light and bright minerality sneaking through the oxidation and autolysis, and this balance, depth and complexity is simply other-worldly. This is straight magic.
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Very good quality Meunier, but the grape isn’t the most complex, I find. Very good purity of fruit, and very dry finish. Still have a 2013 in the cellar but won’t necessarily seek more
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Niche Niche 8/20: In fairness, I had this after the Laval Cumieres, so a bit hard to figure out what to make of it (other than that it's much better). This is a nice pleasant champagne with good acidity, but honestly I'd be doing it a disservice by giving it a proper review. I'm not usually a huge Meuniere fan (Prevost excepted), but this seemed pretty good and I'd love to have another bottle to evaluate it fairly.
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The grapes come from lieu-dit Le Mont Benoit and IIRC, this belongs to the Premier Cru class, but the bottle says nothing on it. The wine is 100% Pinot Meunier from a plot originally planted in 1962 in Le Mont Benoit. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. First aged for 11 months in predominantly old oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Left to age sur lattes for 5 years. Minimal dosage employed during disgorgement, resulting in an Extra Brut wine. Total production 1272 bottles. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep appley yellow color. Quite rich and wonderfully seductive nose with aromas of toasty autolysis, tart green apples, some lemony citrus fruits, light chalky tones, a little bit of saline ocean air, a hint of nuttiness and a touch of sweeter red apple. The wine is quite rich yet bone-dry on the palate with a medium body and quite complex flavors of autolytic brioche and French bread, some sweeter notes of lemon marmalade, light nutty nuances leading to subtly marzipan undertones, a little bit of browned butter, sappy hints of birch leaves and a touch of tangy salinity. Ample, silky mousse and bright, almost incisive acidity. The finish is bright, mouth-cleansing and wonderfully complex with intense flavors of tangy salinity, slivered almonds, some tart green apple, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light mineral notes of chalky bitterness, a hint of pithy pomelo and a toasty touch of autolysis.
A wonderfully nuanced, refreshing and high-toned Pinot Meunier with beautiful sense of depth and purity. It was very obvious from the get-go that this was a Champagne, but I was pretty sure this was either a Chardonnay or a Chardonnay-driven blend. Thus, I was pretty surprised when the wine turned out to be a varietal Meunier Champagne. Fantastic stuff, starting to show some developed notes, but as the overall feel is not only very youthful, but also still rather tightly-knit, I can imagine this wine will continue to improve for many, many years more. Not affordable at 90€, but I'd argue the wine delivers for the price.
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Much more yellow fruits, plum, iron, saline and savory notes. Very intense on the palate with better juiciness on the palate. Great length.
Zalto bord: A little spicy and elegant on the nose. Very complete on the palate. It is elegant, with just a tad higher acidity and soft minerality than Gabriel. Juicy, intense and ever lasting finish. My pick.
Zalto Burg: Smoky note. sweeter fruits and spicier. I must said this is very unique aromas of black tea and fruits that reminded me of a good old Takaji 6puttonyos Broad on the palate, with good balance of acidity, fruits and minerality. A tad lime zest bitterness at the back.
Zalto Uni: Focusing on acidity and minerality, 'tall' on both nose and palate. Sleek palate, lingering with plum and saline minerality. Precise and clean.
Gabriel Gold: Softer than Uni, more elegant on both nose and palate, rounder profile as the acidity here is softer.
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Day-1: Ok TOP of all the below. The wine has immense energy and palate staining intensity with nice complex salinity note. Day-2 would be interesting. Very nice juiciness and plum on the palate.
Testing out glasses
Zalto bord: High tone, focus crispy aromas intermixed with broader biscuity and ripe aromas. Broader scale on the palate too. Very balance with good acidity spine for the tallness at the back. Pretty complete.
Zalto Uni: this is a tad sharp on minerality on both nose and palate. Gaining much better harmony with air. Still have the intense minerality and crisp acidity.
Zalto Burg: drinking like a white wine with crisp acidi spine and nice intense yellow fruits. Very good length.
Gabriel Gold: The most balance of all however also lacks a bit of excitement. Softer minerality, more elegant.
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Brilliant champagne - riple golden brown notes and super elegant perlage - a truly beautiful well done champagbe from a super small producer! Dont know how well it ages this version - was spot on window now
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Lieu-dit 'Mont Benoit', from 0,4 ha of sélections massales planted in 1962. Medium gold in colour. Aromatically generous, with heaps of ripe yellow apples - so very typical for the variety - a few raspberries, some wet chalk, discrete oak, and touches of Pommac and Nutella. Quite a full-bodied wine with broad and expansive mid-palate flavours, ripe acidity, lively mousse and a sustained chalky finish. Top notch Meunier that will be interesting to follow over several years as it matures. (Disclaimer: ITB with Swedish importer Vin & Natur).
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8/24/2023 - wineton.mee Likes this wine: 96 Points
Love Brochet, love Meunier, and even then, this was surprisingly brilliant. Old vines from Le Mont Benoit. The nose was mega generous and just killing it here - bruised red apple, spiced pear, roasted nuts and brown caramel. Reminded me of Ulysse Les Maillons and Selosse Ambonnay Le Bout du Clos.
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12/31/2022 - Finare Vinare Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disgorged in October 2018 (Disclaimer: ITB with Swedish importer Vin & Natur).
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7/9/2022 - Lehto Likes this wine: 95 Points
100% Pinot Meunier from a single plot, aged for 11 months in mainly old oak barrels, and left to age for 5 years on the lees. Minimal dosage making it Extra Brut, with a total production of 1272 bottles. Brochet has become quite hyped and hard to get.
The nose is what Meunier is all about. Mature/bruised apple, sweet red apple, candied/pickled lemon, nuttiness, heavy autolytic character and oxidized feeling to it but there's a light chalk tone with this breeze of ocean air as well as some melted butter.
And then you get fooled. Because this is 2012, baby. Where did the deep and rich Meunier go? Red and green apple, candied lemon, lemon zest and an insane fruity citrus acidity cutting through all bullshit. But in the back there's still all that toasted brioche, almonds/marzipan, melted butter and a slight grapefruit bitterness. Light and bright minerality sneaking through the oxidation and autolysis, and this balance, depth and complexity is simply other-worldly. This is straight magic.
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4/10/2021 - Neuneuil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good quality Meunier, but the grape isn’t the most complex, I find. Very good purity of fruit, and very dry finish. Still have a 2013 in the cellar but won’t necessarily seek more
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8/20/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
Niche Niche 8/20: In fairness, I had this after the Laval Cumieres, so a bit hard to figure out what to make of it (other than that it's much better). This is a nice pleasant champagne with good acidity, but honestly I'd be doing it a disservice by giving it a proper review. I'm not usually a huge Meuniere fan (Prevost excepted), but this seemed pretty good and I'd love to have another bottle to evaluate it fairly.
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8/11/2020 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
The grapes come from lieu-dit Le Mont Benoit and IIRC, this belongs to the Premier Cru class, but the bottle says nothing on it. The wine is 100% Pinot Meunier from a plot originally planted in 1962 in Le Mont Benoit. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. First aged for 11 months in predominantly old oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Left to age sur lattes for 5 years. Minimal dosage employed during disgorgement, resulting in an Extra Brut wine. Total production 1272 bottles. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep appley yellow color. Quite rich and wonderfully seductive nose with aromas of toasty autolysis, tart green apples, some lemony citrus fruits, light chalky tones, a little bit of saline ocean air, a hint of nuttiness and a touch of sweeter red apple. The wine is quite rich yet bone-dry on the palate with a medium body and quite complex flavors of autolytic brioche and French bread, some sweeter notes of lemon marmalade, light nutty nuances leading to subtly marzipan undertones, a little bit of browned butter, sappy hints of birch leaves and a touch of tangy salinity. Ample, silky mousse and bright, almost incisive acidity. The finish is bright, mouth-cleansing and wonderfully complex with intense flavors of tangy salinity, slivered almonds, some tart green apple, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light mineral notes of chalky bitterness, a hint of pithy pomelo and a toasty touch of autolysis.
A wonderfully nuanced, refreshing and high-toned Pinot Meunier with beautiful sense of depth and purity. It was very obvious from the get-go that this was a Champagne, but I was pretty sure this was either a Chardonnay or a Chardonnay-driven blend. Thus, I was pretty surprised when the wine turned out to be a varietal Meunier Champagne. Fantastic stuff, starting to show some developed notes, but as the overall feel is not only very youthful, but also still rather tightly-knit, I can imagine this wine will continue to improve for many, many years more. Not affordable at 90€, but I'd argue the wine delivers for the price.
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4/22/2020 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Day:2
Much more yellow fruits, plum, iron, saline and savory notes. Very intense on the palate with better juiciness on the palate. Great length.
Zalto bord: A little spicy and elegant on the nose. Very complete on the palate. It is elegant, with just a tad higher acidity and soft minerality than Gabriel. Juicy, intense and ever lasting finish. My pick.
Zalto Burg: Smoky note. sweeter fruits and spicier. I must said this is very unique aromas of black tea and fruits that reminded me of a good old Takaji 6puttonyos Broad on the palate, with good balance of acidity, fruits and minerality. A tad lime zest bitterness at the back.
Zalto Uni: Focusing on acidity and minerality, 'tall' on both nose and palate. Sleek palate, lingering with plum and saline minerality. Precise and clean.
Gabriel Gold: Softer than Uni, more elegant on both nose and palate, rounder profile as the acidity here is softer.
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4/21/2020 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Day-1: Ok TOP of all the below. The wine has immense energy and palate staining intensity with nice complex salinity note. Day-2 would be interesting. Very nice juiciness and plum on the palate.
Testing out glasses
Zalto bord: High tone, focus crispy aromas intermixed with broader biscuity and ripe aromas. Broader scale on the palate too. Very balance with good acidity spine for the tallness at the back. Pretty complete.
Zalto Uni: this is a tad sharp on minerality on both nose and palate. Gaining much better harmony with air. Still have the intense minerality and crisp acidity.
Zalto Burg: drinking like a white wine with crisp acidi spine and nice intense yellow fruits. Very good length.
Gabriel Gold: The most balance of all however also lacks a bit of excitement. Softer minerality, more elegant.
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2/15/2020 - JHSP Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brilliant champagne - riple golden brown notes and super elegant perlage - a truly beautiful well done champagbe from a super small producer! Dont know how well it ages this version - was spot on window now
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8/30/2019 - Finare Vinare wrote: 92 Points
Lieu-dit 'Mont Benoit', from 0,4 ha of sélections massales planted in 1962. Medium gold in colour. Aromatically generous, with heaps of ripe yellow apples - so very typical for the variety - a few raspberries, some wet chalk, discrete oak, and touches of Pommac and Nutella. Quite a full-bodied wine with broad and expansive mid-palate flavours, ripe acidity, lively mousse and a sustained chalky finish. Top notch Meunier that will be interesting to follow over several years as it matures. (Disclaimer: ITB with Swedish importer Vin & Natur).
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4/17/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chablis and Champagne Weekend; 4/17/2019-4/21/2019 (Au bon Manger, Ingo's castle, Rocaille, Le Pot d'Etain): Drank it side by side with EB Les Haut Chardonnay 2011, not blind
Juicy, red berry fruit, balanced, bread crust, red apple, saline, lushier than the CH but a bit broader. 91+
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