Wines

“L’Hommée” is named for a pre-Napoleonic unit of measure used in Champagne and Lorraine, referring to the amount of land a person could work in one day. It is a blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from the 1er cru villages of Vrigny and Pargny. The Chardonnay is fermented and aged in oak, while the Pinots are raised in steel, and the wine spends a lengthy five years on its lees before disgorgement. The current offering is a blend of two-thirds 2016 and one-third 2015 vintages, with a minimal dosage of 3 grams per liter. This is a Champagne deep in spirit and sumptuous, offering rich red fruits, classic brioche and vanilla-bean elements, and an incredibly concentrated, persistent, broad palate that rings with mineral energy.

“Le Mont Moine” is pure Pinot Meunier from a 0.10-hectare plot of south-exposed 40-year-old vines in the premier cru village of Coulommes-la-Montagne. Stomped by foot, fermented whole-cluster, and produced without the addition of sulfur at any point, this cuvée spent two years in barrel—one new, and one significantly older. The vineyard’s sandy soils produce a wine of silky, caressing fruit, amplified here by an intense minerality that is particularly explicit on the vivid nose. Fresh, tingling tannins keep the palate energetic all the way through the very long finish.