Les Marnes Blanches Brut Nature V19

A Blanc de Blancs defined by clarity: zero grams of dosage, taut acidity, saline minerality. The nose is entirely citrus-driven, from Amalfi lemon and citron with their zest to grapefruit, pomelo and lemongrass, through to lemon curd and candied lemon peel, along with a touch of pineapple, starfruit, a hint of wood and limestone.

The grapes grow on the Les Vignes Douces parcel within the Les Coteaux du Petit Morin terroir, on south-facing slopes above the Petit Morin at the southern edge of the Côte des Blancs. The soil contains millstone grit, marl, chalk and flint; it's the white marl that gives the wine its name. The estate, based in Talus-Saint-Prix, spans five hectares.

100% Chardonnay from 40-year-old vines, entirely from the 2019 vintage. The grapes are hand-pressed, fermentation starts spontaneously, and the wine is aged in wood. It matures in the chalk cellar that Cyril's parents, Michel and Marie-Claude, hand-dug into the rock in 1986, which holds a constant temperature of 12 degrees. It was disgorged in November 2022 with zero dosage — a true Brut Nature with no added sugar whatsoever.

Forceful and generous at once, gripping, with power and length. The citrus fruit returns, along with a tart zest note, alongside a creamy side that stays dry. Because the fruit had reached the necessary ripeness, the absence of dosage doesn't come across as austere. The finish is saline and mouth-watering.

Vol-au-vent with poultry, home-cured salmon with dill and mustard, or morel risotto.

Cyril Jeaunaux and Clémence Robin have run the estate since 1999 and work biodynamically, guided since 2013 by consultant Jacques Mell. The used oak barrels are at least ten years old, since it's the terroir, not the wood, that should show in the glass.