2019 Champagne Marguet, Les Crayères, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Ambonnay, Brut Nature
About this WINE
Champagne Marguet
Champagne Marguet is located in the village of Ambonnay, also known as the heartland of Grand Cru Pinot Noir. This family property was founded in 1870, and fifth-generation member Benoît Marguet-Bonnerave remains at the helm today.
Benoît has fundamentally changed the direction of the family business, having converted operations to biodynamic viticulture in 2009. He strives relentlessly to nurture energy in all his cuvées following the rhythmic cycles of nature, as well as cosmic and lunar cycles. Some of his methods are far from conventional – as are his wines, which are some of the most highly-prized and expressive in the region.
His sensitivities and skill in the vineyards are famous amongst Champagne’s vigneron community. Even Krug have employed his talents in farming their Ambonnay Pinot Noir. His cuvées and lieu dits are both contemporary and evocative, standing as beautiful expressions of terroir. Timeless, radical and insanely delicious, these wines offer value, purity, and quality.
Blanc de Blancs
In Champagne, the term Blanc de Blancs designates Champagnes made only from white grape varieties, either as blends or single-varietal wines. The vineyards located between Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger in Côte des Blancs yield the best examples of the style.
A classic Blanc de Blancs is restrained and elegant when young, yet with ageing it develops a mouth-coating brioche richness that overlays an intense expression of fruitiness. Blanc de Blancs are endowed with longer ageing potential than a typical Blanc de Noirs.
Recommended Producers: Salon, Billecart Salmon, Jacques Selosse, Dom Ruinart, Krug, Le Mesnil Grand Cru, Guy Larmandier
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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
The 2019 Ambonnay Grand Cru Les Crayères shimmers in the glass with a golden biscuit hue. The nose is vibrant and citrus-driven, with lifted notes of lemon, sour apple, and brioche. On the palate, it is full-bodied, intense, and beautifully layered with a concentrated texture. Bottled with zero dosage, the purity of the wine shines through, leaving nowhere to hide. Made from 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, it delivers penetrating acidity and an impressively long finish. 13.5% ABV.
Alex Weller, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (October 2024)
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