NV Chartogne-Taillet 'Les Couarres' Extra Brut 2018 Champagne

Winemaker Notes: 

Cépage: 60% Chardonnay 40% Pinot Noir
Village/vyd: Merfy; single-vineyard Les Couarres, Sand over Clay
Malo: Partial
Élevage: Used barriques, and concrete eggs; wild yeasts
Sur latte: 36 months

The Site

Les Couarres is located in the center of the vineyards of Merfy, with some of the richest, most humid soil in the village. This south facing, gentle slope has more water in reserve than the other plots, a benefit in warm, dry years but which also makes it more susceptible to Spring frost.  Of the single parcel wines that Alexandre produces, Les Couarres also requires the most work in the cellar during maturation. He notes that is more susceptible to oxidation and oxygen during élevage must avoided as much as possible during the aging process. Wines from Les Couarres are marked by a sapid, textured roundness, a broad character, followed by a lift of freshness and a backbone of acidity, framing the wine. This release is tighter and more reductive from the clay influence on the wine.

TASTING NOTES

“Wines from Les Couarres are certainly the laziest. They like to be looked after in a simple way,  protected to avoid the turbulent experience of rapid oxidation. I think it is necessary to protect these Champagnes from oxygen from the moment of pressing, by selecting casks of two or three wines in the most humid parts of the cellar. I try to control “la part des anges” (evaporation) to limit this wine being weakened by too much contact with the air. The casks in which these wines are kept are topped up regularly” says Alexandre. 

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Vinous - "The 2018 Extra-Brut Les Couarres is a dense, potent Champagne. The blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay works so well here. A wine of substance and presence, Les Couarres impresses with its poise more than anything else. White flowers, kirsch, spice, Poire William and crushed rocks lend an exotic flair throughout. I especially admire the precision here. This is beautifully rendered. Dosage is 4-5 grams per liter. Disgorged: February 2023."