(NV MARIE-COURTIN Resonance Extra Brut) Champagne Dear Friends, Two pioneer-inspired offers in one day is a bit mind-numbing for me (as the author/procurer) but I can't let this winery slip past us so today is the day... Most of you know Champagne has been a passion of mine for years but I'm not very interested in the commercial houses. What intrigues me in Champagne is what interests me throughout the wine-world: young, passionate vintners who may have little funding but are never short on endless work hours and complete dedication to their cause. Usually this involves a clear, natural methodology and profit is the last driving factor in a wine's production. Cedric Bouchard fit this description when we introduced him to the US market several years ago (along with Jose Dhondt and many others) and Marie-Courtin should be next in line to grab the brass ring... This micro-winery is going to get noticed. I've seen this before (many times) and all the check-marks have aligned for this 2.5ha domaine that consists of a single, contiguous masale monopole parcel in the Aube (as opposed to the commercial norm of blending 5, 10, 15, 20 or more parcels into a cuvee). They are doing things the young modern way (i.e. back to 1920s-era production methods) and their monopole is 100% biodynamic/organic. They make very little wine, all of it non-dosage, and it is going to be expensive. It wouldn't be Garagiste unless something was just a little bit askew and the vines on this property are not the norm. While 90% of the vineyard is original root-stock Pinot Noir, the remainder is a field blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. Yes, Pinot Blanc - one of Champagne's historic varietals that has mostly gone the way of the Dodo Bird. Dominique Moreau-Polisot likes it that way and she makes sure to include the Pinot Blanc in this cuvee. Everything at her domaine, Marie-Courtin, is non-dose (no added sugar) and the Champagne can be alarming to taste for the uninitiated. The Resonance is from 2002 and 2004 stock with small additions from recent years. It is pain personified in a bottle with such incredible, pin-point persistence that an open bottle remained unchanged for over five nights in my fridge (corked with a pressure stopper of course). The color is pewter/silver/light gold and the bead changes from stripping and masculine to cashmere and feline with air. Lemon, chiffon, lemon curry, clove, spiced pear and nutmeg vie for your attention while the paint is stripped ever so lovingly from your palate. This wine is about the most biting purity that speaks to a bygone era where Champagne was not necessarily a thing of immediate pleasure. The Resonance should age for many years but it is very interesting to challenge your palate in its current state. Watch out shellfish - you have no chance against this. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - VERY RARE This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: NV Marie-Courtin "Resonance" Extra Brut (Aube) It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ8712
By Jon Rimmerman
(NV MARIE-COURTIN Resonance Extra Brut) Champagne Dear Friends, Two pioneer-inspired offers in one day is a bit mind-numbing for me (as the author/procurer) but I can't let this winery slip past us so today is the day... Most of you know Champagne has been a passion of mine for years but I'm not very interested in the commercial houses. What intrigues me in Champagne is what interests me throughout the wine-world: young, passionate vintners who may have little funding but are never short on endless work hours and complete dedication to their cause. Usually this involves a clear, natural methodology and profit is the last driving factor in a wine's production. Cedric Bouchard fit this description when we introduced him to the US market several years ago (along with Jose Dhondt and many others) and Marie-Courtin should be next in line to grab the brass ring... This micro-winery is going to get noticed. I've seen this before (many times) and all the check-marks have aligned for this 2.5ha domaine that consists of a single, contiguous masale monopole parcel in the Aube (as opposed to the commercial norm of blending 5, 10, 15, 20 or more parcels into a cuvee). They are doing things the young modern way (i.e. back to 1920s-era production methods) and their monopole is 100% biodynamic/organic. They make very little wine, all of it non-dosage, and it is going to be expensive. It wouldn't be Garagiste unless something was just a little bit askew and the vines on this property are not the norm. While 90% of the vineyard is original root-stock Pinot Noir, the remainder is a field blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. Yes, Pinot Blanc - one of Champagne's historic varietals that has mostly gone the way of the Dodo Bird. Dominique Moreau-Polisot likes it that way and she makes sure to include the Pinot Blanc in this cuvee. Everything at her domaine, Marie-Courtin, is non-dose (no added sugar) and the Champagne can be alarming to taste for the uninitiated. The Resonance is from 2002 and 2004 stock with small additions from recent years. It is pain personified in a bottle with such incredible, pin-point persistence that an open bottle remained unchanged for over five nights in my fridge (corked with a pressure stopper of course). The color is pewter/silver/light gold and the bead changes from stripping and masculine to cashmere and feline with air. Lemon, chiffon, lemon curry, clove, spiced pear and nutmeg vie for your attention while the paint is stripped ever so lovingly from your palate. This wine is about the most biting purity that speaks to a bygone era where Champagne was not necessarily a thing of immediate pleasure. The Resonance should age for many years but it is very interesting to challenge your palate in its current state. Watch out shellfish - you have no chance against this. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - VERY RARE This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: NV Marie-Courtin "Resonance" Extra Brut (Aube) It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ87128/11/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)