This is the Champagne for special occasions, to share with a few privileged amateurs, the palate clean and free of any other food. Perfect now, it will age beautifully to provide a rich, succulent wine.
The vintage
2012… all's well that ends well!
Except for botrytis and grape budworms, the attacks came from all sides : winter frost, early then late spring frost, very heavy rains bringing mildew, hail in certain sectors of the vineyard, cold during flowering and, at the end of the course, a scorching sun which causes scalding of the bunches and stress soil water.
Powdery mildew is also present. It is even the first time that this disease coexists with downy mildew since the conditions necessary for their development are opposite.
Regular rains during maturity fed the grapes well without causing botrytis.
It is necessary to believe that the vine must suffer to sublimate its fruits. Despite a low yield of 9,000 kilos per hectare due to climatic accidents and diseases, the composition of the juices already shows from vinification the very great wines they will become: balanced, slow evolution with a racy nose, silky texture and a beautiful aromatic power which turns towards a generous fruit. 2012 was an exceptional vintage in Champagne and the best since the stellar 2008. In particular, Pinot Noir performed superbly in 2012. As with other great vintages, the 2012 cuvées will age exceptionally well and can be laid down for enjoyment over the next few decades to come.
Terroir
Bouzy is a village of Grande Montagne de Reims, especially of the "Côte des Noirs (Coast of Blacks)" because stronghold of Pinot Noir.
On its slopes, vine grows on soils constituted of fragments of millstones, pebbles and sand mixed with clays of decalcification of millstones, resulting of runoff. Silts of the plate cover with a fertile coat the tops of hills, and old alluvium formed of sand, gravel and chalk pebbles.
In the vineyard
Vines grown on the principle of sustainable viticulture, using organic fertilizers, natural weed and other techniques to preserve the best of nature. The old vines are no longer torn but maintained by inter-planting to preserve the diversity of genetic potential.
Vinification
Picked by hand, with selective screening on the bunch. Half Pinot Noir for its personality, its roundness and the typical terroir character and half Chardonnay for its freshness and
particularly its lasting properties. The selection is made as a priority from low-yield vines to achieve an accurate regional quality.
Dosage: 6 grams per litre.