La Source Brut Nature 2022

A Champagne that does without dosage and draws its clarity from that choice. In the glass, a bright straw yellow with a fine, lively perlage. The nose stays in bright tones: lemon, grapefruit and citrus zest, followed by apple, pear and red berries, with a touch of stone and candied ginger. A slightly volatile note in the first minutes fades quickly.

The vines grow on the chalky soils of the Côte des Bar, in the south of Champagne. Raphaël Piconnet grew up on the Bichery plot in Neuville-sur-Seine, where his grandfather Charles farmed the slopes above the Seine for decades; La Source comes from the source vineyard above the village. Together with his wife Hannah, he took over the family estate in 2015 and immediately converted it to organic farming. The eight hectares lie in Neuville-sur-Seine and Gyé-sur-Seine.

A blend of roughly 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier from the 2022 vintage, which is undeclared. 60% of the base wine ferments in stainless steel, 40% in used barriques, with further ageing then taking place entirely in used Burgundian oak barrels. Fermentation is carried out with wild yeasts, and each bottle ages on the lees for at least 24 months. Disgorged in February 2025 with zero dosage, making it a Brut Nature with no added sugar whatsoever.

Pure, almost austere tension at first: citrus freshness and a taut line of acidity. Then comes the supple, wine-like texture contributed by the used oak. The finish is long and slightly saline, with the bright fruit notes retaining the upper hand. 12.5% vol.

Unfined, unstabilised, unfiltered, with little to no sulphur added. All of the estate's Champagnes are bottled as Brut Nature. Annual production ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 bottles.