Totem Blanc Brut

This house cuvée sets the tone for the estate's style: Meunier-driven, fresh, approachable and shaped by its terroir. The wine has a streamlined structure, medium body and enough grip to hold its own at the table without losing the lightness of an aperitif.

The grapes grow on parcels in Troissy and Dormans in the Vallée de la Marne, on brown limestone with colluvial deposits and on sandy, stony clay soils. Alexis Leconte runs the family estate in Troissy-Bouquigny in its sixth generation, farming around 10 hectares across roughly 40 parcels in Troissy, Dormans, Mareuil-le-Port, Vandières and Aÿ, using exclusively estate-grown grapes. He works with cover crops and deep ploughing, and aligns vineyard and cellar work with lunar and seasonal cycles.

The blend combines around 70% Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. Fermentation happens spontaneously with indigenous vineyard yeasts in stainless steel, after which the wine ages partly in tank, partly in used oak barrels; around 30% comes from a réserve perpétuelle held in foudres. After at least two to three years of lees ageing in bottle, it is disgorged as Extra Brut with a dosage of 5 g/l.

The nose shows red apple and pear, along with subtle nutty notes, a touch of yeasty sweetness, lemon and lime zest, a hint of white pepper, vetiver and pale bread crumb — more spicy-fresh than richly autolytic. The palate entry is juicy, with a clear stone-fruit character, lively mousse, citrus tension and a nutty-saline undertone from the chalky base.

Each parcel is fermented separately; the cellar holds used 228-, 400- and 500-litre barrels, concrete, old foudres, sandstone amphorae and specially developed horizontal eggs. The réserve perpétuelle gives Totem its depth, while the restrained dosage keeps it fresh.