Atoma P23 Grand Cru Brut Nature

Atoma P23 carries the house's idea in its very name: every bottle holds an atom of the vintages that came before it. Fabrice Agrapart bottled this cuvée for the first time under his own label after parting ways, around 2020, with the shared family estate in Avize. It shows his slightly more extravagant signature: lemon curd, lemon zest and a hint of grapefruit over mellow apple, quince, sesame and a fine smoky note.

The Chardonnay comes from seven crus of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Vertus and Bergères-lès-Vertus. Pure belemnite chalk lies beneath the vines. Fabrice Agrapart farms just over five hectares spread across these seven villages, supported by vineyard manager Emmanuel Turpin.

100% Chardonnay based on the 2023 vintage, rounded out with reserve wines and around 20% of a Réserve Perpétuelle begun in 2020. Hand harvest, spontaneous fermentation with the estate's own yeasts, complete malolactic fermentation. Half the wine ages on fine lees in stainless steel, the other half in foudre. After twenty to twenty-four months on lees, the wine is bottled without fining, without filtration and with under 50 milligrams of sulphur per litre, as Brut Nature — that is, with no dosage at all.

The entry is full-bodied and intense, with ripe citrus fruit meeting a dark mineral spiciness of crushed stone and smoke. Gripping texture and lively acidity build tension; with bottle age, the intensity should carry further into the finish.

With Belon oysters, sea bass ceviche or salt-crust turbot with beurre blanc, as well as with seared scallops and young Comté.

The vineyards are in conversion to organic farming, worked according to biodynamic practice; the young estate is not yet certified, however. The first bottles reached the market in 2024. 12.0% ABV.