2005 Champagne Tarlant, La Lutétienne, Brut Nature
Critics reviews
The 2005 Brut Nature Prestige Millesime La Lutétienne is a very good wine in what has proven to be an inconsistent vintage. Hints of pear, spice, dried flowers, chamomile and lemon oil all meld together nicely. There’s terrific creaminess and texture, achieved by long ageing in the cellar on the lees. There is perhaps a bit of evolution, but then again, the 2005 is nearly 20 years old. Even so, I would not push my luck too much on ageing.
The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Disgorged: November 24, 2021.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2022)
It is so ripe, rich and toasty that you only realize it’s bone-dry when it has rolled a long way over the palate. Very long, savoury and mineral finish with so much drive. Still so energetic, despite the complex, mature character, I can imagine this ageing for many more years.
A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir that was wild-fermented in wooden casks with no malolactic. Disgorged February 1st, 2021.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (July 2022)
The 2005 Champagne La Lutetienne Brut Nature is 80% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir and was aged for 15 years on the lees before disgorgement in November 2021. A medium yellow hue, the nose is sunny and rounded, with sunny fruit of apricot, almond, and chamomile. It is pillowy and ripe on the palate, with somewhat more modest acidity levels, and has a note of dried flowers and peach.
Drink 2022 - 2037
JebDunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (November 2022)
About this WINE
Champagne Tarlant
Located in the Marne Valley of Champagne, the Tarlagne family’s involvement in winemaking dates back to the early 18th century, making them one of the oldest families in the Champagne region. The estate was officially founded in 1687 and has been passed down through generations, with each generation contributing to the family’s winemaking legacy.
The winery is situated in the village of Œuilly in the Vallée de la Marne, part of the broader Champagne appellation. The Marne Valley is known for its diverse terroirs and is particularly suitable for cultivating Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
Champagne Tarlant is known for its commitment to traditional winemaking methods and sustainability. They emphasise minimal intervention in the vineyard and the cellar, using organic and biodynamic practices to cultivate their grapes. The estate focuses on expressing the unique terroirs of their vineyards in their Champagnes.
The family owns and manages vineyards across various terroirs within the Champagne appellation. They primarily grow the traditional Champagne grape varieties, including Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Production includes a wide range of cuvées, including non-vintage (NV) Champagnes, vintage Champagnes, and special cuvées.
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This special multi site blend is a blend of 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir selected from five sloping lieu-dits around Oeuilly & Celle-les-Condé. spontaneous fermentation and maturation in large oak barrel, gaining complexity prior to secondary fermentation. Golden foam supports a palate of stone fruit, exotic saffron like spices with a chewy crumb of cardamom bun. Vinous depth. Vibrant core with soft edges. Disgorged November 2021. 0 gram dosage.
Davy Zyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
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