Cuvée Irizée Meunier Extra Brut 2013

A vintage champagne in which Pinot Meunier speaks as the sole voice. Extended lees ageing has given it brioche, white pepper and candied citrus, while the low dosage keeps it clear and upright. Fruity but never plump, structured but never heavy.

The family estate is based in Cuchery, in the Marne Valley. Seven hectares are spread across 35 parcels around Cuchery, Baslieux, Leuvrigny, Troissy and Mareuil-le-Port. Chalky clay and alluvial limestone marl define the soils and give the wines their mineral backbone. The estate has farmed biodynamically since 2011: no herbicides, no insecticides, its own compost made from animal and plant residues, with grasses and wildflowers forming a living mulch between the vine rows.

Single-varietal Pinot Meunier from vines with an average age of 33 years. After the second fermentation, the champagne ages for years on the lees. The house's dosage ranges between 1.7 and 3.5 grams of sugar per litre, making this Extra Brut almost a zero-dosage wine. 12.5% vol.

Sharp linearity, carried by creamy yeast and an almost saline minerality. The bead stays fine, the finish dry and long.

With pan-seared scallops, oysters and turbot with citrus foam. An aged Comté also finds its perfect counterpart in this champagne.

The label carries the Demeter logo. Son Maxime already works in the vineyard.