Blanc de Noirs

Eric and Martine Rodez are the eighth generation (and now with their son Mickael, the ninth generation) of winemakers who first started in 1757 in the great Grand Cru that is Ambonnay. In addition to his experience in the family business, Eric has worked elsewhere in Champagne, including as oenologist at Krug; clearly influencing his inclination to blend small parcels and multi-vintages going back many years, as well as working with oak barrels.

The attractive light copper tinge to this presages the dark red fruit of this pure Pinot Noir Champagne, given just a little depth by a well-judged use of old oak which does not at all overpower the fruit. This oak ageing, combined with partial malolactic fermentation, results in a Champagne which maintains a high degree of freshness to offset the weight of the Ambonnay fruit.

New to the already peerless range of Cédric Bouchard , le Presle is a west-facing Pinot Noir parcel, measuring, for those who like such details, a mere 0.2548 hectares. Small but perfectly formed in other words. The 2010 for this Blanc de Noirs Champagne is youthful and steeped in potential, its  sweet fruit still in the ascendant, but its potential writ large in a long and textured finish. 
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Mailly is one of the great Grand Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims. With a membership of 70 growers, the village's eponymous co-operative is one of the most dynamic in the region. One has only to visit its splendid seven-story gravity-fed installation to realise that this is a rather special organisation, the quality of its wines matched only be the peerless efficiency of its management. With a gifted winemaker in Hervé Dantan, Mailly is able to exploit the full potential of these top-graded vines.

All Pinot Noir from this fantastic House, the most celebrated co-operative in Champagne by some distance. Mailly is ideally suited to black grapes, its extended ripening period and the ensuing complexity of flavour perfectly captured here. Rich, creamy and food friendly, this is one of the best Blanc de Noirs on the market.

Formerly owned by Cédric’s father and therefore hitherto marketed under the Inflorescence brand, the Bechalin vineyards have now been repatriated and therefore formally fall under the Roses de Jeanne Domaine nomenclature. Bechelin is a 0.7 hectare vineyard located close to the Domaine itself in Celles-sur-Ource.

The wine’s inherent quality is enhanced yet further by the fact that this wine is sourced exclusively from the magnificent 2008 vintage; a tour de force of muscular poise, this ranks as one of the finest Blanc de Noirs on the market; hawthorn, sour honey and red berries; savoury yet supple, balletic and perfectly balanced.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer