Champagne is a more exciting region than it might appear on the surface. Yes, production is dominated by the larger house, the ‘grandes marques’ and leading brands, but there is another, perhaps more fascinating side of Champagne, says Simon.
Today, there are a whole host of growers producing incredibly individual wines on a much smaller scale. It is these growers who are shaking up the status quo in the region. Often growers, who previously sold fruit from their vineyards under contract to major houses, have decided to make their own wines, and often this has coincided with responsibility passing from one generation to the next. Champagne as a region is more diverse than it might first seem.
Of these new names, I would stress that the wines of Cédric Bouchard are some of the very finest I have encountered. Cédric’s wines are fast achieving cult status even if their volume only allows them to be known to a limited audience. Cédric has only been making wine from his remodelled Roses de Jeanne estate since 2000. These champagnes are produced in the Aube valley, to the south of the Champagne region, in a village called Celles-Sur-Sources. I should stress that these are hugely individual wines of remarkably high quality. I am not alone in championing them - these wines are produced in miniscule quantities and the global demand for them has risen incredibly. They are endorsed by a vast number of sommeliers the world over and have become a feature on many a leading restaurant wine list. At Atlas, we buy all the stock we can through the UK agent, but often choose to supplement this with stocks of good provenance sourced from selective partners across Europe. I have been fortunate enough to group together a parcel of the 2007 Côtes de Béchalin, Blanc de Noirs, Cédric Bouchard, which I can offer at £315 per 6 bottle case in bond
Cédric Bouchard is not a great marketer; he is seldom quoted by journalists, preferring to let his wines do the talking. All of his wines are now labelled Roses de Jeanne, which has removed some of the confusion surrounding the range of individual cuvées produced. All of the wines are fermented in stainless steel – no oak is used at all here. The wines are all made at lower atmospheric pressures – still sufficiently effervescent but not as ‘sparkling’ as regular Champagne. All the wines are bottled without dosage (without their dryness being adjusted by adding a sugar syrup), yet there is a textural softness and balanced feel to the acidity so they never come across as nervy and too linear or racy. Furthermore, all the Cédric Bouchard wines are single varietal and single vineyard Champagnes – never a blend of different grape varieties or vineyard parcels. All of the wines are aged in stainless for 28 months before release.
Wine critic, Antonio Galloni recently stated that ‘Readers who can find these Champagnes should not hesitate as they are magnificent’ – a view with which I fully concur. During his time at Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Galloni also commented that ‘the explosive, kaleidoscopic Champagnes of Cédric Bouchard are some of the most compelling wines coming out of the region today.’ You will soon get the impression that Cedric Bouchard’s wines are not short of endorsements.
For this offer I am focussing on the impressive 2007 vintage of the Côtes de Béchalin. Stylistically all the Bouchard wines are refined, silky, layered, textural with a gentle mousse and chalky minerality – they are never heavy, rather they are subtly complex. These are very much vinous styles that can be judged as wines in the own right as opposed to simply Champagne. As with some of the greatest Champagnes, their effervescence seems purely incidental. I really enjoy the clarity and purity of fruit shown by this 2007, with its citrusy, peach accents and long, flowing finish. Many of the Bouchard wines show incredibly well from an early stage and can be aged over the mid-term. This 2007 is a joy to taste today.
Formerly known as La Parcelle, the Côtes de Béchalin is a pure Pinot Noir from a parcel of 0.50 hectares, equating to a production of just 2000 bottles. Please note given the scale of production the volume available is very limited and orders may need to be limited to one case of six bottles per client.
2007 Côtes de Béchalin, Blanc de Noirs, Roses de Jeanne
93 points, Antonio Galloni
£315 per 6 bottle in bond
The 2007 Blanc de Noirs Côte de Béchalin, formerly known as La Parcelle, is a great choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years, as the flavors and textures are already softening and showing early signs of maturity. Apricot pit, citrus peel, almonds, white flowers and anise are all very much alive in a creamy, perfumed Blanc de Noirs that stands out for its immediacy and sheer appeal. The 2007 needs air to become fully expressive, but it is absolutely striking and a true pleasure to taste today. 2014-2023.
Please let us know of your interest at your earliest convenience. If you are interested in other wines from Cédric Bouchard, please enquire as we do have even smaller volumes of other cuvées.