"Éclats" Édition Speciale Extra Brut L22/23

A grower Champagne built on tension rather than richness. Extra Brut, meaning very low dosage, with a fine mousse, taut acidity and a cool, stony finish. Those looking for tension will find it here, ahead of opulence.

Talus-Saint-Prix lies at the southern edge of the Côte des Blancs, between it and the Côte de Sézanne. The five hectares belonging to Cyril Jeaunaux and Clémence Robin are spread across south-facing slopes above the Petit Morin, a tributary of the Marne. The soil contains silex, the flint once quarried for millstones, which gives the cuvée its name.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with Meunier dominant on this terroir at over 50 percent: a variety that withstands the late frosts of the Petit Morin valley and develops its own distinct spice here. The vines average 40 years of age, with some considerably older. Pressing is done by hand, and fermentation begins spontaneously without added yeasts. Ageing takes place in steel tanks, glazed concrete and used oak barrels at least ten years old, so no wood character comes through. The bottles mature for two to seven years in the chalk cellar that Michel and Marie-Claude Jeaunaux hand-dug into the rock in 1986, which holds a constant 12 degrees.

Pale yellow in the glass, with white peach and raw nut kernel on the nose. Dry, lean, with a saline imprint and a long finish in which the flinty note lingers. 12.0% ABV.

With oysters and lemon, with pan-fried pikeperch on crisp skin, with baked goat's cheese or mature Comté. Also with onion soup and poultry with lemon and thyme.

Cyril Jeaunaux took over the estate in 1999 and consistently converted it to biodynamic farming, supported since 2013 by consultant Jacques Mell. The estate belongs to the association Terres et Vins de Champagne.