Chardonnay de la Côte des Bar Brut Nature 2020

An uncompromising, clear vintage Champagne made from pure Chardonnay. It feels mature and fresh, supple and precise at once, carrying a nutty, citrus-tinged spice that the lack of dosage does nothing to soften.

The vineyards of Champagne Louise Brison lie around Noé-les-Mallets in the Côte des Bar, at roughly 320 metres of altitude. The subsoil of Kimmeridgian limestone and marl carries a topsoil of clay; the limestone layers hold fossils of the oyster Exogyra virgula, 150 million years old. Delphine Brulez has farmed the vines organically since 2011, and the share of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil has risen from 18 to 70 percent under her stewardship.

Single-varietal Chardonnay. The musts are separated across four pressings, finer than usual, and the base wines ferment with wild yeasts in used Burgundy barrels before being blended together in stainless steel. In July 2021 the wine went into bottle for its second fermentation, with disgorgement following in April 2025 without dosage. In the vineyard, Delphine Brulez follows the Simonit & Sirch method of gentle pruning.

Vinous and full, yet strikingly clear. The texture combines silkiness with chalkiness and a fine phenolic grip. Ripe yellow fruit meets lemon and grapefruit zest, joined by iodine, dried herbs and crushed stone. Vital acidity and a fine mousse keep the riper aromatics in tension, with a saline, chalky finish lingering on.

Founded in 1910, the house is now led by Delphine Brulez, fourth generation, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, as well as a member of the winemakers' collective "Les Fa'bulleuses". All the Champagnes are vintage-dated and all are Brut Nature, meaning no sugar is added.