[free] Printemps 3 | Origines, Apex
More independent Champagne picks from Printemps des Champagnes
Diving straight in, now, to a few picks from two tastings in Reims. (I've made this one free for everyone to read)
In case you missed it, here's the previous instalment:
Origines Champagne
There was no particular theme here. There were a few repeat names, of which Benoît Dehu from Fossoy and Vauversin from Oger were the most impressive. The standard was more varied than some tastings (and I didn’t have time to taste absolutely everyone), but other than the above there were three producers that stood out:
Louis Brochet (above), Eceuil, Petite Montagne. An estate undergoing some renewal, these are composed and elegant wines. The Extra Brut Héritage based on 2019 was full of spiced apple brightness, and the Extra Blanc 2015 was a fairly smooth rendition of this sometimes tough year. The Extra Noir 2015 was a little angular for me, although I did rather like the developed, if strict, Réserve Perpetuelle. These wines have been gathering fans lately, and you can see why.
Champagne Gamet, Mardeuil, Vallée de La Marne A careful, bright and fruity style here. Rive Droite is a charming, straight-up apple-blossom Meunier, perfect entry-level fare. Rive Gauche is a little more serious and crisp. I actually preferred these to the vintage wines.
Natalie Falmet, Rouvres-les-Vignes, Côte des Bar I have tried these wines before, but what was on show here was impressive. The Val Cornet 2017 did show some of the difficulties of the vintage, although the Terra 2014, Chardonnay in amphora, was deep and saturated with lemon, spice, chestnut honey and orange peel flavours. Long and fine. Both the Solera and Oeil de Perdrix Rosé cuvées were serious and fine, the Brut Nature showing an energising reductive side.
Apex
There were some familiar names here, notably Marguet from Ambonnay and Pertois-Lerbrun from Cramant. Quality-wise they’re both in very fine form (and featured here elsewhere) although there were some other wines of note:
Augustin - Avenay/Vertus. Biodynamic estate. Some promise here - the Feu the pick of the wines with vivid apple and ginger biscuit spice. Quite a frank style, a little untamed in the Air and Vertus in terms of oxidation. Worth watching, though.
Sadi Malot, Villers-Marmery with vineyards in Verzy too. In organic conversion. There were charming wines, the Alouettes a measured and balanced 2015, the Champs Brullés a Verzy blanc de blancs from 2019 that was refined, bone dry and bracing. Nice rosé de saignée, too. Youthful but quite stylish.
Pierre Deville, Verzy. I had encountered these wines before and found them a little unusual, but they seemed to show some signs of coming into focus now. The straight Copin Chardonnay in 2019 base was broad, complete and tangy, a little more refined than either the Copin Blanc de Noirs or the Les Copins. The Rosé de Maceration was lovely. A wild side, but the fruit here definitely has something to it.
Antoine Chevalier, Vitry-en-Perthois . Nice to taste a Vitry grower! The Terra Silva was my favourite here, 100% chardonnay from 2019. Quite a bustling, punchy style.
Alexis Leconte (above), Troissy, Marne Valley. Alexis is making some very impressive Meunier, full of black fruits, characterful oaking and a fair bit of structure in the top cuvées. Apart from the super ‘Terre Merre’ (which does perhaps need a little more time in 2019 base), it’s the ‘Aria’ Chardonnay from Troissy that impresses with weight and smoky depth (as well as the Arietis, if you can find it). The ‘Ageus’ is a Pinot Noir from Aÿ that massively vinous - I’d pick the Meunier and Chardonnay myself, but that’s down to taste.
Stay tuned for the final two instalments (for paid subscribers: