Champagne Fleury, Blanc de Noirs, Brut, 1929 Label
White | Drink now | Champagne Fleury | Code: 37881 | France > Champagne > Brut Champagne | Champagne Blend | Medium Bodied, Brut | 12.0 % alcohol
Scores and Reviews
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The Wine Advocate 88/100 |
The Producer
The original and some would suggest the best of the Biodynamic Champagnes (certified by Ecocert and accredited to Demeter and Biodyvin), Champagne Fleury is based in the less than entirely fashionable Cote des Bars and excels in the production of Pinot Noir.
The great thing about them is that they have been biodynamic for so long (1989) that the vines have now gained maturity under the natural inclinations of this rigorous regime. A beguiling paradox of ethereal purity and an earthy sense of place marks out these wines and underlines their position as one of the very best producers in the south of the region.
The Grape
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.
The Region
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
Stylistically at the other end of the spectrum from the Notes Blanches, this is a richly rewarding and savoury 100% Pinot Noir Cuvée, its base fruit from the highly regarded 2012 vintage ,its dosage low in deference to a natural ripeness and a house style ( biodynamic) which favours expression of terroir over winemaking. Pure red fruit flavours, fine linear acidity and a sublime texture are the key features here, and the finish is discretely racy and richly rewarding.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer