Tarlant "Cuvée Louis" Brut Champagne

The Cuvée Louis bottling is the top of the line from the Tarlant family, with its first vintage having been the 1982. Today, it is not a vintage-dated bottling, but rather one that is based on eighty-five percent of a base year and fifteen percent a blend of reserve wines from the three previous vintages. In this case, the wine is base year 1999, so that the reserve part of the blend hails from 1998, 1997 and 1996. The wine is a fifty-fifty blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, planted in the lieu à dit of “Les Crayons” in Oeuilly back in 1946. The wine was barrel-fermented in four year-old casks and aged until May of 2000 in barrel prior to blending and bottling. This is a stunning wine, offering up a superb bouquet of pear, white peach, fresh-baked bread, a stunning soil signature, pastry tones, gentle smokiness, an exotic touch of saffron and a bit of butteriness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very complex, with lovely secondary layers already emerging, a fine core, elegant mousse and excellent mineral drive on the very long, beautifully balanced and classy finish. Great juice. (JG) 94+