This cracking dry sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay from a single parcel of vines just north of the Chermette cellars in Le Bois-d’Oingt. It’s a 2.5-hectare, southwest-facing site on limestone/clay soil―perfect for Chardonnay. The wine ages for 18 months in bottle, minimum sulphur is used, it is neither fined nor filtered, and very little dosage is added (4 g/L).
This shipment is a blend of 2018, 2019 and 2020 and is showing creamier, lemon-curd intensity and more length than previous bottlings—perhaps due to the low yields and warmer vintages involved. There are well-pitched notes of pear, citrus, chamomile, toasted hazelnuts and subtle buttery brioche, while the palate is vinous, focused and balanced by stony acidity. We love the fine, airy bubbles and the fresh, sculpted energy and finesse. If you don’t know this wine, do yourself a favour; French sparkling wine this impressive, at this price, does not grow on trees.