Cuvée Irizée Chardonnay Extra Brut 2016

Extra Brut with 2.4 grams dosage: this Blanc de Blancs lives on pressure and chalk, not on sweetness. Bright and clear, knife-sharp and powerful, yet finely drawn and carried by an electrifying minerality.

The grapes grow at the threshold between the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims, in vineyards near Cuchery, Baslieux, Leuvrigny, Troissy and Mareuil-le-Port. Chalky clay and alluvial soils provide the mineral backbone. Régis Poissinet farms seven hectares across 35 parcels with vines averaging 33 years of age, biodynamic since 2011: no herbicides, no insecticides, his own compost made from animal and plant residues, grasses and wildflowers between the rows.

100% Chardonnay from the 2016 vintage, fully aged in oak. The bottles were hand riddled and disgorged on 19 May 2022 with a 2.4-gram dosage, more than five years after harvest. A total of 641 bottles.

Fine and brightly lit on the nose: yellow citrus fruit with green undertones, crisp green stone fruit, crushed chalk and white blossom. On the palate, pressure builds very quickly, the citrus fruit stays clear, underpinned by the finest cream. The oak ageing, not noticeable on the nose, becomes evident here without ever stepping forward.

Plenty of oysters. Also scallop carpaccio with citrus and toasted sesame oil or chickpea salad with herbs and cod.

The label carries the Demeter logo. 12.0% vol., served at 10 °C. Son Maxime already works alongside him in the vineyard.