AUSTRAL, Brut Nature 2019 1500ml Magnum

A Champagne without any dosage, its fullness coming solely from ripe Pinot Noir. At Clandestin, the AUSTRAL represents the south-facing sites and brings depth and gastronomic potential. The magnum format slows the ageing process even further.

The grapes grow in the Côte des Bar, southern Champagne, on Kimmeridgian marl, a Jurassic soil rich in marine shells. For the AUSTRAL, they come exclusively from south-facing plots. Clandestin is a micro-négoce: Benoît Doussot buys organic grapes from eleven partner growers, supports them through conversion, and pays fair prices rather than letting their grapes disappear into anonymous blends. He arrived in the region in 2015 after completing his studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, and the first cuvées were made in Bertrand Gautherot's converted barn.

Single-varietal Pinot Noir. Fermentation begins spontaneously and under temperature control; the base wines age for twelve months in 500- to 600-litre casks, which keep the wine leaner and require less sulphur, followed by a winter en masse in tank. After the second fermentation in bottle, the Champagne rests for at least 15 months sur lattes and is bottled without dosage. Benoît Doussot trained his craft in part under Jean-Philippe Fichet in Meursault.

Taut acidity carries a creamy texture, strawberry and raspberry meet brioche and citrus peel, and the finish stays chalky and dry. 12.0% ABV.

Brut Nature means without dosage, that is, without any added sugar after disgorgement, which requires flawless grapes. The winery in Landreville, completed in 2023, operates on two gravity-fed levels, entirely without pumps.