| Review: |
". . . Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Chemin des Chappes 1er Cru is fabulous. A blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Meunier, the 2014 exudes power, depth and intensity. The low dosage of just three grams per liter keeps things brisk yet the structure of the red grapes comes through all the same. This is compelling juice. Dosage is 3 grams per liter . . . . I was deeply impressed with Guillaume Sergent's Champagnes. Sergent's 1.5 hectares in the villages of Vrigny and Coulommes, both in the Montagne de Reims, give birth to these two tiny-production cuvées. The wines are fermented and aged in barrel, and bottled with no dosage. The Blanc de Blancs Les Prés Dieu is a blend of fruit from the Prés and Vignes Dieu lieux-dits in Vrigny and Coulonnes respectively, while the Blanc de Noirs Les Chemin des Chappes is equal parts Pinot Noir and Meunier from Vrigny. Like a lot of small, artisan growers, Sergent releases his wines before they can officially be declared as vintage Champagnes, which means they also see a relatively short amount of time in bottle before release. Even so, the two 2014s I tasted are both superb and point to a very bright future." |