Champagne Roger Coulon, Esprit de Vrigny, 1er Cru, Brut Nature

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

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

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

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

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