2012 Champagne Penet-Chardonnet, Les Champs Saint-Martin, Blanc de Noirs, Grand Cru, Verzenay, Extra Brut
Critics reviews
100% 33-year-old Pinot Noir from Verzenay. First fermentation in oak. No malo. Dosage 5.2 g/l.
Quite headily scented. Really quite rich. Assuming the dosage as printed on the label (disgorgement date and vintage were scribbled) is correct and as low as in all the other Penet-Chardonnet wines, then that richness is presumably from the ripeness of the fruit and the maturation effect. Pretty impressive.
Drink 2021 - 2026
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2021)
100% Pinot Noir.
Striking notes of toffee, creme caramel, plums, coconuts and raspberry tart waft from the glass. It’s both creamy and tangy with lively acidity. Brisk bubbles. More zesty notes at the end.
Drink now
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (August 2023)
About this WINE
Champagne Penet-Chardonnet
Champagne Penet-Chardonnet has 400 years of winemaking history behind it. The estate spans six hectares, spread over 30 small plots across Verzy and Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims.
Located in the north-eastern extremity of the region, this land is 100% Grand Cru, and is home to some of the best Pinot Noir vineyards in all of Champagne. The Penet family farms their estate with the utmost care for nature, using sustainable and organic methods.
The estate is now run by fourth generation winemaker Alexandre Penet and his wife Martine, who have redefined the house style since taking over in 2009. Alexandre vinifies all crus separately, bottling the best sites as single lieu dits. These wines are set to become some of the most desired in the region: detail, expressive and made with precision, they are totally distinctive in personality.
Blanc de Noirs
Blanc de Noirs describes a wine produced entirely from black grapes. In Champagne, Blanc de Noirs cuvée can be made from the two black grapes permitted within the appellation, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Bollinger's prestige cuvée Vieilles Vignes Françaises, from ungrafted, old Pinot Noir vines, has set the yardstick in a style that is now produced by a number of other Champagne houses.
A typical Blanc de Noirs cuvée has a deep golden colour, and can be more intensely flavoured than the classic non-vintage, multi-grape blend.Recommended Producers: Cedric Bouchard, Bollinger
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
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.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
100% 33-year-old Pinot Noir from Verzenay. First fermentation in oak. No malo. Dosage 5.2 g/l.
Quite headily scented. Really quite rich. Assuming the dosage as printed on the label (disgorgement date and vintage were scribbled) is correct and as low as in all the other Penet-Chardonnet wines, then that richness is presumably from the ripeness of the fruit and the maturation effect. Pretty impressive.
Drink 2021 - 2026
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2021)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee