Edouard Duval Champagne Brut Nature Millésimé

Tatler Champagne Guide 2024-2025

Grape Makeup:

50% Chardonnay; 50% Pinot Noir

Sweetness Level:

Brut Nature

Ageing on Lees:

Six+ years

Price:

$$$$

Cellar:

Five to ten years

Category:

Celebration

What

A grower estate based at the 1,000 year-old Cluniac priory Domaine Sainte Eulalie, operated since 2000 by Edouard Duval of EMW Fine Wines. Duval is carrying on the legacy of his grandfather, Roger, who began making a single-terroir wine here in the 1980s.

Where

Bligny, Côte des Bar; 28ha, mainly Pinot Noir (80%), with the rest Chardonnay and Meunier.

Why

This 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sainte Eulalie monopole is the estate’s most “naked” wine, fermented and matured in stainless steel before maturing for six years on lees and receiving no added sugar. The result echoes some of Duval’s other cuvées in its peppery energy but has an even greater purity, exemplifying the scorching but brilliant 2015 vintage.

What Else

Duval wanted to develop a special label to reflect the ancient Kimmeridgian soils here; he worked with an artist from Troyes to develop a stone-baked ceramic label that is truly stunning.

Tasting Notes

The nose here is spicy and energetic with pepper and mace, grapefruit and lime with a slight hint of rhubarb and a fine toast point yeastiness. Very upright and charged on the palate, it has electric acidity and zero sense of sweetness. There is a limberness to the structure, which stays taut and zingy throughout but with some breadth just on the finish. A clean, satiny texture gives way to subtle water biscuit yeastiness on the finish.

Try It With

A beautiful spring kaiseki meal

When To Drink

Cold entrées

Perfect For

Your champagne geek tribe

Tatler Tip

This label is amazing; prepare to keep the bottle; the staple on top looks intimidating but can be opened with a utensil handle, just keep a nakpined hand over the cork as much as possible.

TL/DR

Spicy, energetic and upright

Supplier

East Meets West