Champagne Eloquence Marie Courtin 2017

Champagne Eloquence Marie Courtin, biodynamic wine, 100% Chardonnay, no doage, low sulphur, barrel fermentation, rich, soft and very smooth. Eloquence refers to the elegant style of this Chardonnay based wine. The vines are on clays and Kimmeridgean marls, soils similar to Chablis, farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand. Eloquence is fermented in used barriques using natural yeasts and then aged in the same and bottled with zero dosage. Striking aromatic nuance and lift, with white flowers, lemon peel, mint and white pepper, while distinctly mineral inflected veins of salinity recall the wines of Chablis, whose vineyards are closer to the Marie Courtin domaine than those of the central Champagne districts. The wine spends at least 4 years on the lees. It is bottled with a minimum of sulphur, the final total being around 22 mg/l. It is stunning Champagne, rich yet elegant, gastronomic, nutty, creamy but with lovely fresh fruit characters. Will age very well.

Marie Courtin is a tiny 2.

5 hectare domaine in Polisot in the Cotes des Bars, the southernmost region of Champagne. It is run by Dominique Piollot wife of Roland who also has vines in the village and bottles wine under his family name Piollot (see the related wines below). Dominique is a fantastic 'Artisan Vigneron', she has converted her vines to Biodynamic certification (demeter) over a period of 6 years and her wines are the purest expression of traditional method fizz. She uses wild yeasts of course and manages to make some wines without any sulphur. Her Cuvee are very fresh, the acidity creating a veil of elegance and restraint which marks them out from other Champagnes. With food, they are superb and they also age very well although at only 6-8000 bottles in total and 5 cuvee the wine doesn't hang around long. When first opened, her bottles can seem a little closed but these wines reward a little patience. Uncork the bottle and have a glass then put a Champagne closure on and leave in the fridge over night. In the morning, the wine will have come to life, brimming with rich flavours, nuttiness, toasted brioche and complexity. When meeting Dominique and Roland, one is struck by their quiet, thoughtful nature and warmth. They are a spiritual couple who feel very attached to the land in their native village of Polisot, not far from the Chablis region in southern Champagne. Dominique expresses this sensitivity in her wine making and approach to viticulture, she is 'true believer' in Biodynamics, and the names of the wines carry their own spiritual significance.