Champagne
Barrat-Masson "Grain d'Argile" Champagne Extra-Brut (2019)
Champagne Barrat-Masson is run by the husband-and-wife team of Loïc (winemaker) and Aurélie (enologist). The winery was founded in 2010 on the outskirts of the village of Villenauxe-la-Grande à Bethon, in the part of Champagne known as the Côte de Sézanne.
Loïc took over the family farm in 2009, converting the 7 hectares of vineyards to organic viticulture. Along with better farming practices, the couple renovated buildings on the farm, adding a traditional coquart vertical press, a new vat room and cellars. All of this was in an effort to produce wine with the most attention to detail and care possible. At Barrat-Masson, the wines undergo fermentation with natural yeast, there is no pumping, no additions, and I find the wines to be wonderfully expressive and pure.
This bottling is comprised of two vintages 2019 (80%) and 2018 (20%). It is a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir, with the average age of the vines around 40 years old. The majority (75%) was fermented in barrel, with the remainder in tank, spending around 9 months in these vessels before it undergoes its secondary fermentation in bottle. This spent 30 months in bottle on its lees before disgorging with no addition of sugar.
A beautifully expressive nose, with notes of orange peel, cherry skin, honey, lemon verbena, and white cocoa. Fresh, but impactful on the palate with a wonderfully silky texture, a continuation of fruit, and some oxidative notes from the oak fermentation. The finish is long, broad, complex, and ultimately delicious.
Prices in Champagne certainly are on an upward trend, and it is nice to know that value still exists in Champagne, you just need to know where to look!
Loïc took over the family farm in 2009, converting the 7 hectares of vineyards to organic viticulture. Along with better farming practices, the couple renovated buildings on the farm, adding a traditional coquart vertical press, a new vat room and cellars. All of this was in an effort to produce wine with the most attention to detail and care possible. At Barrat-Masson, the wines undergo fermentation with natural yeast, there is no pumping, no additions, and I find the wines to be wonderfully expressive and pure.
This bottling is comprised of two vintages 2019 (80%) and 2018 (20%). It is a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir, with the average age of the vines around 40 years old. The majority (75%) was fermented in barrel, with the remainder in tank, spending around 9 months in these vessels before it undergoes its secondary fermentation in bottle. This spent 30 months in bottle on its lees before disgorging with no addition of sugar.
A beautifully expressive nose, with notes of orange peel, cherry skin, honey, lemon verbena, and white cocoa. Fresh, but impactful on the palate with a wonderfully silky texture, a continuation of fruit, and some oxidative notes from the oak fermentation. The finish is long, broad, complex, and ultimately delicious.
Prices in Champagne certainly are on an upward trend, and it is nice to know that value still exists in Champagne, you just need to know where to look!
Perman
France
Details
| Producer | Champagne Barrat-Masson |