From the Sip archive
From 21 to 23 June 2021, Primeur Day brought together five wines from growers we were excited to share, from expressive Meunier in the Marne Valley to a chalky Cramant magnum.
Here are the wines and tasting notes from that original selection. For what’s available now, explore our current Champagnes.
The offer has ended. These notes describe the original wines, and current listings may differ.
Meunier · Troissy, Marne Valley
A pure Meunier from Troissy, with a lively nose of dried redcurrants. The palate is creamy with a chalky bite that brings the sweet fruit forward. Straw, bramble and apple follow, opening into pastry and jam. Sweetness and bitterness meet in a lovely texture. Delicious, tense and long.
Explore the current Alexis La Terre Mere listing.
75% Chardonnay, 25% Meunier · Vandières
From a vineyard on the chalk outcrop of Vandières in the Vallée de la Marne, this wine has zero dosage and no malolactic fermentation. Butter and toast give the nose a warm charm. The palate is rich and engaging, with brilliant texture, depth of fruit and an airy freshness. So well done and so drinkable.
Explore the current Famille Delouvin Fauve listing.
Meunier · 50% 2013, 50% solera · 5 g/l dosage
Geoffroy Delouvin-Nowack’s pure Meunier opens with candied apples, delightful freshness and a touch of salinity. A delicate mousse carries a wave of stewed apple and chewy toffee, while the piercing character of 2013 brings a wonderful brightness to the finish.
Cuisles · Marne Valley
Heucq comes from Cuisles, a small village with a distinctive microclimate, green clay soil and low rainfall. This is wonderfully indulgent, with toffee, honey and rum on the nose. The palate has remarkable depth, lovely vinosity and touches of salinity, with a rich, salty maple-syrup character.
2016 · Cramant · Magnum
Lilbert-Fils wines are known for their long lives. Stern, chalky and floral in youth, they gain richness with age. This magnum was labelled non-vintage but contained wine from 2016 in Cramant. Its nose is floral, crisp and tight. The palate is energetic and chalky, with lemon, white pepper and a dusting of toast and salt. Delicious in its youth, it was a wine made to age beautifully.
