MILLÉSIME 2016 A Year That Demanded Discipline

A modern, bold vintage cuvée. 70% Pinot Noir for fruit and structure, 30% Chardonnay for the mineral line, drawn exclusively from Premiers & Grands Crus across the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. Eight months in stainless steel, then about eight years on the lees. James Suckling 92, Drinks Business Master 2025 Gold.

Composition

Grapes & Origin

Pinot Noir: 70%
Origin: Montagne de Reims (Ludes) · Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Hautvillers).

Chardonnay: 30%
Origin: Vallée de la Marne (Hautvillers) · Côte des Blancs (Cuis).

Premiers & Grands Crus only.

Fermentations & Ageing

Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.
+ Stainless steel ageing for 8 months, with the focus on freshness and a mineral directness, no oak aromatics.
+ Bottle-aged on lees for around 8 years, developing brioche, almond and honey notes without losing the youthful tension.
+ Minimum 3 months' rest after disgorgement before shipping, while the dosage liqueur settles in.

Dosage

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

Timeline of the bottle

Production timeline

The Vintage. A year that taught us watchfulness, from the rain-soaked spring to the dry days of summer, from the threat of mildew to the relief the sun brought in August. It is not the easiest vintage we have ever made. But it is one of those years that forces the grower to look, to listen, to walk the vines, and that rewards in the end with a ripeness no easy year could ever give.

Main harvest

Harvest. Conditions: August gave way to warm, sunny days. Characteristics: the grapes were in excellent health and exceptionally ripe.

Reserve wines

Summary, from our cellar master: after an intense year, the dynamics of ripening and the quality of the grapes gave us the chance to close the vintage on a good impression and a fine substance. A measured way of putting it. We had worked, we had waited, and the vintage delivered.

Tasting

Tasting

A wine for moments of attention. For a glass you look at before you drink it, for a conversation that should not begin too quickly. The 2016 was held back eight years; it asks for a little of that patience in return.

Optimal serving temperature

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)

Colour

Delicate golden yellow, enhanced by slightly silvery highlights, testifying to its youth and freshness

Nose

First nose discreet and elegant, gradually revealing a complex range of aromas. Primary: pear and redcurrant, the direct fruit of the Pinot Noir from Ludes and Mareuil. Secondary: pastry notes, lemon tart and frangipane, with a marked chalky minerality from the Côte des Blancs soils. Tertiary, from the long lees ageing: honey and roasted hazelnut.

Taste

Fresh, acidic attack, lively character affirmed, the Pinot brightness setting the pace. Taut, chiselled palate echoing the minerality of the nose: pear confirmed, a crunchy touch reminiscent of Granny Smith, a fine chalky salinity from the Côte des Blancs. The finish is zesty, with a slight bitterness from the white of the zest that adds to its elegance, and a remarkable persistence.

Fine cuisine pairings

Three ways to enjoy it. With a fish tartar, marinated the day before with citrus. With scallops, seared briefly and left almost raw at the centre. Or with a slow-roasted poultry and a purée of freshly picked chanterelles. The 2016 holds its own at the table and lengthens each plate.

Bottling & cellaring

Bottling data

Bottling date: June 2017.
Container types: bottles & magnums.
Initial closure: crown cap.

Shipping & cellaring

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

Awards

Three international voices for a vintage that earned its recognition only after eight years of patience:
La Sélection Bettane + Desseauve 2026 · 90 points
James Suckling 2025 · 92 points
Drinks Business · Champagne Master 2025 · Gold

Available formats

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

75cl · Bottle 750 ml · 6×/case €183 / case ▾

150cl · Magnum 1500 ml · 3×/case €179 / case ▾

Official product sheet

↓ Download official product sheet (PDF)