CHAMPAGNE MARIE-COURTIN "Eloquence" Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Côte de Bar 2019

Dominique Moreau, Pollisot

Dominique Moreau’s Champagnes have gone through a meaningful evolution since I began tasting them years ago. Although often compelling, the wines could be excessively stark, even austere. That is hardly the case these days. These remain extremely precise Champagnes, starting with an intense focus in the vineyard and minimal handling in the cellar, but the wines aren’t as piercing as they once were. Some of the Champagnes are labeled Extra Brut—they are all bottled with no dosage. 

Eloquence comes from Chardonnay on clays and Kimmeridgean marls on soils similar to Chablis, farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand. It is fermented in used barriques using natural yeasts and then aged in same and bottled with zero dosage. It is normally a blend of two vintages. Striking aromatic nuance and lift, although it is a bit less expressive on the palate. White flowers, lemon peel, mint and white pepper are some of the signatures, while distinctly mineral-inflected veins of salinity recall the wines of Chablis, whose vineyards are closer to the Aube than those of the central Champagne districts.

‘Shining elegance, both singular and captivating, a soft, gentle wave of sensation capable of beauty of such a magnitude that you want to hold your breath all the way to shore, if only to preserve the sensation for a little while longer. 

Grape: 100% Chardonnay