Cuvée "Sève" Blanc de Noir Brut Nature 2017

The «Sève» cuvée is a vintage Champagne that shows off Les Riceys Pinot Noir without any sugar correction. Brut Nature means zero grams of dosage: what carries the wine is structure, acidity and chalk.

Les Riceys is the only village in Champagne permitted to produce three appellations: Champagne, still wine and Rosé des Riceys. Beneath the vines lies Kimmeridgian chalk, which shapes the minerality of these wines. The Horiot family has grown vines here since the 17th century; Olivier Horiot took over the estate from his father Serge in 1999 and immediately converted it to organic farming. Since 2010 this roughly eight-hectare estate has farmed biodynamically, with the soils ploughed by horse.

Pure Pinot Noir, pressed as a white. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately, with fermentation starting spontaneously with wild yeasts in used barrels. No fining or filtration follows, minimal sulphur and no dosage. 12.0% vol.

Bone-dry and taut, with a firm texture and fresh acidity. On the nose, red berries, ripe apple and crumbly pastry, underscored by chalk. The oak ageing adds depth without masking the cool minerality.

A Champagne made for the table: oysters, shellfish, seared scallops and sashimi. Equally good with aged Comté or pan-fried turbot.

Olivier Horiot vinifies all seven permitted Champagne grape varieties, and his wife Marie runs the cellar. All of the estate's cuvées are bottled without dosage. Horiot is a member of the Terres et Vins winegrowers' association.