Unique offering from Marie Courtin. Aged in amphora 11 months. Zero dosage.
60 Chardonnay/ 35 Pinot Blanc/ 5 Arbane
Not sure I’ve had an amphora aged champagne before, but it’s hard to not sense a creaminess in the texture that I’m assuming was intentional. Intense cheesy-leesy aromatics with plenty of spiced ripe fruits (pear, white peach, lemon). Yeasty but restrained. Not as powerful as other Marie Courtin champagnes but plenty ripe, suave, and balanced. My mind kept wondering what a simple gram or two of dosage would do to this to lengthen the semi-short finish, but this was lovely. I need to seek another out.
To this wines’ credit, it was amongst 2008 and 2015 Cristal, 2000 Krug CdM, Prevost La Closerie, and other grower champagnes and more than held its own. — 7 months ago
Vinous style with some core power. There’s also delicacy and fineness you might not typically associate with the Cotes De Bar. A wine with multiple personalities. Very rad. — 5 years ago
New to me, a delicious grower rosè from Aube by Roland Piollot and his wife Dominique Moreau of Marie-Courtin. — 7 years ago
NYC Keens - Cunningham New Year 2017 — 10 years ago
2 December 2015. Bubbles On The Battery, Pier A Harbor House, New York, NY. — 11 years ago
Recapping from last night - a great follower to Marie Courtin, super-aromatic & waxy — 13 years ago
After a week in the Caribbean, I wasn’t looking forward to Brooklyn, but today was a perfect Spring day worthy of a nice Champagne! Very good 100% Pinot Noir. Sea shells, limestone, dried pear, lemon rind, hint of raspberry. Cuttingly dry, chalky extra brut. — 3 months ago
Light tasting but strong, not too deep but very quaffable — 10 months ago
Strawberries, whiff of dried herbs, dried flowers, some bready notes. Very vinous and inviting. The acidity is offset by the round fruit profile. Unusual translucent cranberry red color. Great stuff. — 5 years ago
Great focus, operating on a moderate wavelength. Not the most expansive but not a laser down the palate either. Golden apple, cured lemon, pecorino rind, salty brioche dough, crushed chalk and oyster shell. Briny and mineral across the back palate. Beautiful for the price! — 8 years ago
100% Pinot blanc. Pear on the nose and the front of the palate with a refreshing apple on the after. Non dose helps it express its unique character and a bit of air helps develop the complexity. Interestingly this is from the same house as Marie Courtin. — 10 years ago
@Delectable Wine : This is the Emilien Allouchery Le Répertoire cuvée. I didn’t see it in the database.
92-93 (same as the BdB, but I’m going a tick higher).
Opened the BdB in April ‘24. Same winemaking process (80% fermentation in oak barrels, 20% in amphora); same disgorgement (May ‘23); this BdN received 3.5g/l dosage versus the 1g/l of the BdB. Followed over two days and stayed consistent.
Very grower champagne and very BdN. As with the BdB, this is texturally really pretty but more powerful. Fruit dominates with caramel dipped apples, spiced pears, red berry fruits, honey and even some cider aromatics. Same thought process I had with the BdB in that I’m curious if the use of amphora adds to the mid-palate texture here (feels like it did with the vintage BdB Marie Courtin I had last month). More rich and spiced apples and pears, some lemon pastry and orange zest. This wears 3.5g/l dosage great, but the ripe fruit would handle a gram or two less no problem. — 6 months ago
Miku’s birthday. Complex, layered. — 3 years ago
Glorious Pinot Noir on new years eve, non dosage, no sulphur, creamy and extraordinary champagne. — 8 years ago
Bright, fresh, malic. Honey and tons of apple. Very light body but lingers on the after. Unusual to find a 100% Chardonnay on the Côte des Bar. Interestingly this is from the same house as Marie Courtin. — 10 years ago
Meticulous farming meets meticulous winemaking. '10 harvest disgorged in late '13 I think is what the back label said. Very much on the ripe side, with little oxidation, and just enough dosage to stop it from being hollow (2g/l). Lots of zesty fruit aromas (Rainer cherry, white apricot, white raspberry) with a sprinkling of varietal spice from the PN (cinnamon dust, candied rhubarb and rose). Brioche-y autolysis notes are present, but ride behind the fruit. Likewise with the chalky minerality. Reminds me a lot of the Marie-Courtin cuvées that see some dosage. Great now, but could stand some time in the cellar for sure. — 11 years ago
Jeremy Shanker
Sommelier at RN74
Love this cuvee. The touch of Pinot blanc adds so much. — 17 days ago