View From the Cellar

• By John Gilman
  May/Jun 2016, Issue #63, The Bi-Annual Champagne Report Summer 2016

  (NV Marie-Courtin “Efflorescence” Extra Brut NV (Polisot) Disgorged November 2013) Login and sign up and see review text.

• By Antonio Galloni
  New Releases from Champagne (Dec 2010), (See more on Vinous...)

  (NV Marie Courtin Extra Brut Efflorescence (2006)) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/5/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (NV EFFLORESCENCE Marie-Courtin) Champagne Dear Friends, There are many ways to start a holiday weekend but I'll take this, no questions asked. After a contemplative and intellectual experience with this wine, my guess is that the majority of you will feel the same way. We profiled the ultra-pure and nervous non-dose cuvee from Marie-Courtin a few weeks ago (the Resonance) but today it's the flagship bottling only available in Europe - the Efflorescence. From 100% Pinot Noir (versus the Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc enhanced blend of the Resonance) this unique wine has a palpable buzz that reminds me of the early days of the recent grower-Champagne movement when something like Jose Dhondt was considered quasi-revolutionary. Only a few hundred cases were produced of the Efflorescence and it is a doozy, especially if given the requisite oxygen to evolve in the bottle and the glass (a very good sign for ageing). Previously unavailable to us, this wine was worth the circuitous effort to secure. I have an affinity for Pinot Noir-based Champagne so my personal reference has a relatively deep cache of comparison to fall back on but, I can say with certainty, that I have never had a wine like this. What makes it so unusual is the combination of luxury pretense with a super-artisanal/Biodynamic and non-dosage methodology that pervades its character. Many small production houses have an organic philosophy but few are attempting to play in this league with a strict non-dosage creed. It's much easier to present your "luxury" cuvee with a slight addition of sugar as the impression can be more obviously flattering and easier for the general populous (and their palate) to enjoy. A non-dose 100% Pinot Noir cuvee is risky from the get-go and this vineyard even more so - a 1.0 hectare old-vine massale parcel of tough to farm vines that require heavy man-hours to sustain naturally. At Marie-Courtin, they do not subscribe to the "easier is better" mantra - their goal is to present each wine in its raw state, with no interference from the hand of man (or woman). They want the consumer to judge the natural state of the wine with no smoke or mirrors and, in this case, their philosophy has produced a dream of a wine that combines the Pinot Noir essence of Malconsorts with the clay-limestone bite of the Aube. 100% hand-made - this wine is vinified in a combination of tank and barrel. It explodes with small, red berries - the type that cover your hands with bright red juice when you pick them off the bush. Very fine with a wild raspberry and strawberry tone encased in a haunting blanket of currants, the palate is awash in rock, Asian spice, ginger, shards of glass and floral notes that are captivating and complex. A beautiful mousse completes this ambitious wine - one that uncoils and unfurls with every hour open. While I've had longer NV Pinot-based wines upon first opening, this wine is far from its apogee and it will only gain in complexity and length as the years pass (it also deepens substantially after 2-3 hours open). If you have a Champagne stopper with a sound closure, try a few sips when you pull the cork and then a few more after an hour and so on - you will be surprised at how different the wine can be over the course of an evening - much like a great Burgundy. If you are into the newest and most limited Champagne, Marie-Courtin's Efflorescence is a noble and wild ride. It is underpriced versus the field it is playing in and is also nearly impossible to find at retail (based on the sommelier chatter, 90% has been purchased by restaurants in Europe). A new star in the making that you will undoubtedly hear more about in the future. EXTREMEMLY LIMITED - VERY RARE This parcel is directly from the cellar at Marie-Courtin with perfect provenance: N.V. Marie-Courtin Champagne "Efflorescence" Extra Brut Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ9771