Notes:
- Havest - 2022
- Cepage - Chardonnay
- Vineyard - Les Plantels
- Dosage - 0g/L
- Disgorgment - 10/2025
Producer: Antoine Bouvet is a fourth-generation grower based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where the family has cultivated vineyards since the mid-twentieth century. Since assuming responsibility for the estate, Antoine has shifted the domaine toward small-production, terroir-focused Champagnes emphasizing individual villages and parcels rather than large multi-village blends. The estate farms approximately 5 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards located primarily in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil, and Avenay-Val-d'Or. Vineyard work centers on sustainable farming, permanent cover crops, mechanical cultivation, and the elimination of herbicides in favor of healthier soils and deeper root systems. Each parcel is harvested by hand and vinified separately using indigenous yeasts with minimal intervention, allowing the individual character of the site and vintage to remain the primary expression of each cuvée. Production is intentionally limited, with most bottlings released in only a few hundred bottles.
Vineyard: This Blanc de Blancs originates exclusively from the Premier Cru village of Avenay-Val-d'Or, specifically the Les Plantels parcel. Situated on the eastern side of the Montagne de Reims, Avenay-Val-d'Or has historically been recognized for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir despite being surrounded by villages better known for red varieties. The vineyard is planted entirely to Chardonnay on classic Campanian chalk covered by shallow clay and limestone soils. The fractured chalk subsoil provides exceptional drainage while encouraging deep root penetration, contributing the linear mineral character that distinguishes the village. Rather than blending fruit from multiple sites, Antoine Bouvet bottles this parcel independently, highlighting the subtle differences that a single vineyard can express within the broader Grande Vallée and Montagne de Reims transition zone. The 2022 growing season produced healthy, well-ripened fruit while preserving sufficient acidity to support long-term development in bottle.
Winemaking: The wine is produced from 100% hand-harvested Chardonnay. Whole clusters are gently pressed before spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Vinification follows a low-intervention philosophy designed to preserve vineyard expression while adding texture through careful élevage. The base wine undergoes extended maturation prior to bottling and remains on its lees until October 27, 2025, when the current release was disgorged. The wine is bottled as Extra Brut, emphasizing precision and minerality over dosage-derived richness. Antoine Bouvet avoids unnecessary manipulation throughout élevage, preferring long lees contact and restrained cellar practices that allow both the vineyard and vintage to define the finished wine.
Food Pairing: The wine's chalk-driven minerality and Chardonnay purity make it particularly well suited to oysters, scallops, langoustines, lobster, sashimi, grilled Dover sole, turbot, and other delicate seafood. It also pairs naturally with roast chicken, mushroom risotto, fresh goat cheese, Chaource, young Comté, and simple preparations where freshness and mineral tension complement rather than dominate the dish. The combination of vibrant acidity and extended lees aging allows the wine to perform equally well as an aperitif or throughout a meal.
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