SELECTED RESERVE EXTRA BRUT

Extra Brut cuvée aged in Allier oak Foudres (Réserve Perpétuelle started in the 1990s), then 7-9 years on lees. Equal-thirds blend of Premiers & Grands Crus. The Gardet traditional style.

Composition

Grapes & Origin

Pinot Noir, ⅓, the structure that holds the backbone.
Pinot Meunier, ⅓, the warmth that speaks through the oak.
Chardonnay, ⅓, the brightness that keeps the line open.

Three grapes, three terroirs: the Montagne de Reims for the Pinot, the Vallée de la Marne for the Meunier, the Côte des Blancs for the Chardonnay. Premiers & Grands Crus, and the address matters.

Fermentations & Ageing

In stainless steel tanks: alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation.
In Foudres (large oak barrels): ageing of wines for at least one year.
+ Bottle-ageing on lees for 7 to 9 years.
+ Minimum 3 months after disgorgement before shipping.

Dosage

Dosage Extra Brut: 4 g/L, from a liquor and beet sugar.

Timeline of the bottle

Production timeline

Two-step maturation. The Selected Reserve cuvée is made out of a very high quality blend which will age very slowly in time. These wines undergo a first maturation in oak barrels using a perpetual reserve method and then in bottle.

Main harvest

1. Foudres, those large barrels are made out of oak from l'Allier; their capacity varies between 25 and 40 hl and their age goes from 50 to 100 years old for some. The blend is matured in these barrels for a minimum of 12 months, in the form of a perpetual reserve started in the 1990s, giving it a very slight and slow controlled oxidation.

Reserve wines

2. Bottle, maturation then continues in bottle for a length of 7 to 9 years before disgorgement. Aromas therefore keep evolving towards more ripe and toasted notes.

Tasting

Tasting

A sommelier's cuvée that asks for a wide glass and a full table. The oak ageing in foudres and the long spell on the lees layer the wine, and those layers open over the course of an evening rather than in the first sip.

Optimal serving temperature

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)

Colour

Shining deep yellow gold

Nose

Delicate. Clean and direct on the attack, then wheat, caramel and vanilla, with ripe fruits set behind. The long ageing pushes the aromatics toward riper, gently toasted territory.

Taste

Direct on the attack with a precise acid frame. Through the mid-palate, fruit jelly, candied orange and a marmalade weight; then a hint of spice, cinnamon and vanilla, over a croissant note. The finish runs clean on an underlying minerality and holds for a long time.

Fine cuisine pairings

For the table, never the aperitif. Duck breast, cooked slowly. A creamy risotto with scallops. Marinated skewers and grilled vegetables from the plancha. Or, for the bold, a well-aged hard cheese, cut thin and taken without rush.

Bottling & cellaring

Bottling data

Bottling period: June.
Container types: bottles.
Initial closure: crown caps.

Shipping & cellaring

Final closure (after disgorgement): traditional cork.
Post-shipment cellaring: ready to drink, can be kept in cellar conditions for up to 5 years.

Awards

Wine & Barrel 2022 · Silver Medal
Wine Enthusiast 2020 · 90 points

Available formats

Click a format to see all price tiers · United Kingdom (based on your delivery address)

75cl · Bottle 750 ml · 6×/case €173 / case ▾

Official product sheet

↓ Download official product sheet (PDF)