Essentiel Extra Brut 2010

This is third vintage of this special cuvee after 2006 and 2008. It was created to express the essence of two spirits, that of the Collard family and the Vallée de la Marne and the one of the Picard family and the Côte des Blancs. The blend is 50% Chardonnay from Mesnil and Oger (with a high acidity and intense ripeness), 25% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier. There was no dosage added to the cuvee thanks to a rich harvest and a balanced acidity, as well as making the wine in wood and letting it sit for five years on the lees. The back label states how malolactic fermentation did not take place and the date of the dégorgement – which took place on July 21, 2016 - indicates how the wine then aged in the bottle for almost two years.

The bouquet is lively and rich propelled by notes of juicy citrus fruit and dried fruit, Saturn peach and Regina Claudia plum and a marine and chalky streak. The mouthfeel has mettle and definition, textured length and tension and a delicate, flavorful and persistent finish.