Pre Arrival Chartogne-Taillet Champagne "Les Couarres" Extra Brut 2022

96 VM

Notes:

The 2022 Extra-Brut Les Couarres is another stunning Champagne from Alexandre Chartogne. Clay-rich soils yield a rich, expansive Champagne. Plush contours and broad shoulders frame a core of plum, citrus confit, marzipan, spice and lemon oil. Readers will find a Champagne of unreal breadth and character. Vinous 96

“The most textural and complete of the Chartogne single-parcels — generous fruit, but still very precise.”

Vineyard - Les Couarres

Vinified - Oak

Cepage 60% Chardonnay / 40% Pinot Noir

Terroir - Merfy

Producer: Chartogne-Taillet is based in Merfy, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry northwest of Reims. Alexandre Chartogne took over the family domaine in 2006, after spending time working with Anselme Selosse, and has since built the estate around an unusually detailed study of Merfy’s individual vineyards. Rather than treating the village as a single terroir, Alexandre focuses on how differences in soil, subsoil, water retention and exposure affect each parcel. Les Couarres is one of the clearest examples of that approach: a single-site Champagne whose character is closely connected to the unusually clay-rich, moisture-retentive ground on which the vines grow. Alexandre’s work has helped return considerable attention to Merfy and established Chartogne-Taillet as one of Champagne’s most closely followed grower estates.
Vineyard: Les Couarres lies near the center of Merfy and is the wettest, least freely draining site farmed by the domaine. The parcel faces south on a gentle slope, with soils and subsoils combining sand, clay and tuffeau. Chartogne-Taillet farms 1.94 hectares of the 3.71-hectare lieu-dit, planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay between 1970 and 2009. The clay holds substantially more water than many neighboring soils, allowing the vines to maintain a more consistent water supply during dry periods. Alexandre describes an important distinction within the vineyard itself: the tuffeau portion tends to give a more stony character, while the clay portion is cooler and more taut. He also notes that Les Couarres tends to open and develop particularly well with time.
Winemaking: The 2022 Les Couarres is approximately 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The wine is raised in barrel, with Alexandre paying particular attention to protecting Les Couarres from excessive oxygen during élevage. The domaine explains that the fine clay-derived texture of the wine makes careful handling particularly important; used barrels are preferred, regular topping is employed, and evaporation is kept to a minimum. This thoughtful élevage preserves the site’s combination of breadth and freshness rather than allowing oxidation to overwhelm its character. For 2022, the Pinot Noir-dominant blend gives the wine considerable body and vinous depth, while Chardonnay contributes freshness and definition.
Technical Details: 2022 vintage; 60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay; Champagne AOC; Les Couarres, Merfy; Extra Brut; 750ml. La Revue du Vin de France reports a dosage of 1.5 g/L and production of only 4,000 bottles for the 2022. The vines were planted between 1970 and 2009 on a south-facing, gently sloping site with significant clay and tuffeau in the subsoil. This is one of the more powerful and textural wines in the Chartogne-Taillet range. Vinous describes the 2022 as rich, expansive and broad, with plum, citrus confit, marzipan, spice and lemon oil, while Alexandre’s own description of the site emphasizes its rounded, almost spherical texture and freshness through the finish.
Food Pairing: Les Couarres has considerably more breadth and structure than a simple aperitif Champagne, making it especially well suited to the table. Roast chicken, veal, turbot, monkfish, scallops, mushroom risotto and aged Comté would all be excellent matches. The combination of Pinot Noir, barrel élevage and clay-derived breadth gives it enough substance for richer dishes, while the low dosage and mineral freshness keep the wine precise through the finish.

Vins Rare

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne "Les Couarres" Extra Brut 2022

Name: Chartogne-Taillet Champagne "Les Couarres" Extra Brut 2022
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 102320
Price: 139.00 USD
Availability: InStock