Champagne Roger Coulon, Esprit de Vrigny, 1er Cru, Brut Nature
Critics reviews
A very yeast nose blends petrol, citrus and freshly sliced apple notes. The ultra-intense and quite bold medium-bodied flavours are supported by a very firm, if not especially refined, effervescence that terminates in a robust, bone and moderate austere finale that delivers solid depth and persistence. This won't wow you with its elegance, but it doesn't lack for character or depth and note that it's a wine that could easily be cellared for a few years if desired.
Drink now
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2022)
Disgorged: July, 2022
The NV (2017) Brut Nature Esprit de Vrigny is a blend meant to capture the essence of Vrigny. Soft and caressing, the Esprit is very easy to enjoy, even in the early going. Dried pear, crushed flowers, spice, tangerine oil and gently spiced notes are nicely pushed forward. Soft and supple, with no hard edges, the Esprit is pretty engaging today.
Roger Coulon remains one of the under-the-radar names in Champagne. Readers will find a number of gorgeous wines in this range, including the new Coteaux Champenois. I find a purity in these Champagnes that is hard to fully describe with words. It’s a sort of transparency - an expression of vintage, variety and place - that is both singular and compelling.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2023)
Organically farmed. A blend of Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Old vines from Vrigny. Spontaneous fermentation in a mix of vessels, including old oak. Disgorged July 2022. Zero dosage. 2,300 bottles produced.
A wine that demands your attention and your time. It's structure, first and foremost, a study in geometry, a matrix of planes crossing and taking your mind in different directions to flavours and folds and puzzles. A snap of salt and lemon, a slow languid lick of caramel. Coffee chew, mushroom earthiness and masses of membrillo sweetness before the finish goes soaring into the aether.
Drink 2024 - 2034
Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (May 2024)
The newly released NV Brut Nature Esprit de Vrigny delivers a complex bouquet of stone fruit, red berries, white flowers, toasted nuts and gunflint, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and pillowy palate that's pure, seamless and elegant, concluding with a saline, delicately nutty finish.
Drink 2023 - 2032
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (December 2023)
Fewer than 2,300 bottles were produced.
The NV Champagne Premiere Cru Esprit de Vrigny Brut comes from one plot each of Meunier from sand, Pinot Noir from clay, and Chardonnay from chalk, in equal parts and without dosage to express the terroir. Vinified in oak and pouring a golden straw colour, it’s brut in nature but doesn’t feel austere, with pure ripeness to its fruit. Opening to aromas of orange blossoms, wild berries, and saline broth, it’s savoury on the palate, with a long arch and a soft, rounded mousse throughout. This is a very lovely wine to drink over the next 15-20 years.
Drink 2023 - 2043
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (November 2023)
About this WINE
Champagne Roger Coulon
Champagne Roger Coulon is a family-owned estate with a rich history dating back to 1806. Now in its eighth generation, the estate is managed by Eric and Isabelle Coulon, who continue the tradition of producing exceptional Champagnes.
The estate spans around 10 hectares, with vines primarily planted on the slopes of Vrigny, Coulommes-la-Montagne, and Pargny-les-Reims. The vineyards are cultivated using sustainable practices, with a strong emphasis on preserving the biodiversity and natural balance of the land.
Their finesse and complexity characterise the Champagnes from Roger Coulon and are a distinct expression of the vineyard's terroir. The estate's wines are made with a careful selection of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay grapes, with an emphasis on older vines that contribute to the depth and structure of the wines.
In the cellar, the Coulons employ traditional winemaking techniques, including fermentation in small oak barrels and extended ageing on the lees, which imparts a rich texture and enhances the aromatic profile of the wines.
Brut Champagne
Brut denotes a dry style of Champagne (less than 15 grams per litre). Most Champagne is non-vintage, produced from a blend from different years. The non-vintage blend is always based predominately on wines made from the current harvest, enriched with aged wines (their proportion and age varies by brand) from earlier harvests, which impart an additional level of complexity to the end wine. Champagnes from a single vintage are labelled with the year reference and with the description Millésimé.
Non-vintage Champagnes can improve with short-term ageing (typically two to three years), while vintages can develop over much longer periods (five to 30 years). The most exquisite and often top-priced expression of a house’s style is referred to as Prestige Cuvée. Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.
Recommended Producers : Krug, Billecart Salmon, Pol Roger, Bollinger, Salon, Gosset, Pierre Péters, Ruinart
Champagne blend
Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
26% of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced.
Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.
The final component is Pinot Meunier and this constitutes nearly 35% of the plantings. Its durability and resistance to spring frosts make the Marne Valley, a notorious frost pocket, its natural home. It ripens well in poor years and produces a soft, fruity style of wine that is ideal for blending with the more assertive flavours of Pinot Noir. Producers allege that Pinot Meunier lacks ageing potential, but this does not deter Krug from including around 15% of it in their final blends.
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Description
Organically farmed. A blend of Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Old vines from Vrigny. Spontaneous fermentation in a mix of vessels, including old oak. Disgorged July 2022. Zero dosage. 2,300 bottles produced.
A wine that demands your attention and your time. It's structure, first and foremost, a study in geometry, a matrix of planes crossing and taking your mind in different directions to flavours and folds and puzzles. A snap of salt and lemon, a slow languid lick of caramel. Coffee chew, mushroom earthiness and masses of membrillo sweetness before the finish goes soaring into the aether.
Drink 2024 - 2034
Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (May 2024)
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