Cuvée perpétuelle RP21AB Extra Brut Premier Cru 375ml

A Champagne that almost forgoes sweetness altogether: at Cyril Bonnet's estate, Extra Brut means no more than five grams of dosage, just enough to soften the acidity. What remains is tension: taut acidity, fine perlage, lemon zest and green apple over a bready depth.

Chamery lies in the Montagne de Reims and is classified Premier Cru. Here, Cyril Bonnet's grandparents once dug the cellars by hand, with shovel and pickaxe, through the sandy soil. The estate's roughly ten hectares, founded in 1862 by Grégoire Bonnet, are spread across some 50 parcels in Chamery, Vrigny, Coulommes-la-Montagne, as well as the Grand Cru sites of Verzenay and Verzy. The vines range from 35 to 80 years old.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, each parcel vinified separately, with spontaneous fermentation from wild yeasts and no filtration. A third of the base wines age in old oak barrels, the rest in steel; Cyril Bonnet is after precision, not oak notes. The Réserve perpétuelle follows the solera principle: after each harvest, part of the blend is drawn off and topped up with the new vintage, so the barrel is never fully emptied. RP21 denotes the 2021 base vintage, while the oldest component in the barrel dates back to 2004.

Dry and clearly defined, with mirabelle plum, almond and brioche behind the citrus fruit, the finish saline and long.

From aperitif to fish: oysters, sashimi, grilled sole, smoked trout, also porcini risotto.

Cyril Bonnet returned to Chamery in 2013 and broke with his father's higher-dosage style; the conversion to organic farming began that same year. Half bottle, 375 ml, 12.5% vol.