"La Vigne d'Or" Brut Nature

France
Champagne
2006

100% Pinot Meunier. A blanc des noirs from a single parcel called "Pierre de Bellevue", planted in 1947 in Oeuilly by the Tarlants' paternal grandfather Georges on Sparnacian clay-limestone soils (a type specific to the Marne Valley). The fruit was hand-harvested and gently pressed; the juice was fermented with natural yeasts in Burgundy barrels. The wine was aged in barrel with no malolactic fermentation before bottling in May 2007. The bottles were aged sur lattes and disgorged in Jne 2022 with no dosage.

It is worth noting that the Tarlants distinguish between terroir wines and vintage wines. This can be a little tricky to discern at first. The terroir wines--Antan, Vigne d'Or, and Vigne Royale--feature those names prominently on the front label, while the vintage is is tucked on the back in tiny type. The vintage-focused bottlings--of which there is a single one made annually from a blend of parcels most reflective of the personality of the vintage--feature the vintage in large type on the front with the whimsical name in much smaller type below the vintage.

95 points
"A golden yellow hue, the 2006 Champagne Blanc De Meuniers La Vigne D’Or is ample and lush with aromas of toasted almond croissant, fresh nectarine, and white strawberry. Full-bodied, with a rounded mousse, it is fleshy and ripe through the palate and doesn’t feel as if it’s lacking for dosage. It has a pillowy mousse and a bit of pithy bitter orange citrus on the long finish. Juicy and ample, it’s very attractive now and will drink well over the coming ten or more years. Disgorged June 2022."
Audrey Frick,
Jeb Dunnuck
November 2023

SKU/Code: 
DB6171-06
Product Line: 
Wine
Sparkling
Varietal: 
Pinot Meunier
Farming Type: 
Sustainable