La Source Brut Nature Champagne - Domaine de Bichery - 2021

75 cl

Alcohol content: 11% vol.

Grape varieties: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir

Vinification:

The grapes were harvested relatively ripe according to the philosophy of the house. 60 % of the base wines were fermented in stainless steel and the remaining 40 % in used barriques. Further ageing then took place in used oak barrels from Burgundy. Ideally, sulphur is not used here at all - only in exceptional cases to correct an undesirable development. After bottle fermentation, the champagne matured on the lees for 25 months before being disgorged. According to the designation "Brut Nature", the dosage is 0 g/litre.

Tasting note:

The mousse is delicate, pleasantly soft and unobtrusive on the palate. Immediately after opening, very delicate hints of volatile acidity reveal the natural ageing process. Notes of citrus fruit, ripe pineapple and a hint of fruit bread then unfold, accompanied by a chalky, mineral flavour and sweet yeasty notes.

In the mouth, it all seems very lean and almost sparse at first, but then quickly develops a soft, supple and very vinous character - ripe, darkly spicy and already very accessible.

Domaine de Bichery:

The winery is located in Neuville-sur-Seine in the Côte des Bar. Raphaël and Hannah Piconnet returned to their parents' estate in 2013, which until then had only been known as a grape supplier. Raphale spent internships in Bordeaux, Switzerland and Burgundy after completing his studies.

The first production took place in 2015 with 5000 bottles of champagne. Organic farming and "low-intervention winemaking" have been practised since 2016. They received organic certification in 2019.

The aim is to produce small quantities of the finest vintner's champagnes, the target annual production is around 8,000 bottles and stylistically there is a pronounced focus on the terroir. The base wines are matured in used Burgundian barrels and fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in barriques.

Typically for the region, red grape varieties predominate, with Pinot Noir accounting for more than half of the vineyards (67%), the rest being predominantly Chardonnay and a small proportion of Pinot Meunier.