Mémoire Solera 1982/2022 Extra Brut

The Mémoire Solera 1982/2022 Extra Brut is the liquid memory of the house of Huré Frères. Since 1982, the solera in the cellars of Ludes has been topped up every year with the best wine and never emptied, so more than forty vintages lie within this bottle. In the glass, that translates into brioche, dried fruit and nut, along with a depth that cannot be planned. Mature, yet consistently lively.

The vines grow in Ludes in the east of the Montagne de Reims, where chalky-clay soils yield elegant, age-worthy wines, and in Villedommange on the western side, which contributes richness and balance. Freshness comes from the cooler Ardre valley, from Brouillet, Serzy and Prin. Pierre Huré farms the ten hectares of premier cru vineyards, while François Huré works in the cellar.

All three Champagne grape varieties are involved: Chardonnay for chalk and citrus, Pinot Noir for structure, Pinot Meunier for juicy fruit. The decisive factor remains the solera method, which gives every new wine the experience of four decades. Bottled as Extra Brut at 12.0% vol.

Dry and multi-layered, with ripe fruit, toasty yeast notes and an acidity that holds the whole wine together; the bead is fine and persistent, the finish nutty.

The estate has belonged to the family since 1960; in 1971 the three Huré brothers gave it their name, and since 2008 François Huré has run the estate. He trained in Dijon and with Jean-Pierre Fleury, the biodynamic pioneer of Champagne, followed by several years in Australia and New Zealand.