Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Extra Brut NV

What

Grower Dominique Moreau’s jewel box Aube estate, producing champagne since 2006.

Where

Polisot, Côte des Bar; 2.5 hectares all in one block, mainly pinot noir farmed biodynamically and organically.

Why

Efflorescence, like most of Moreau’s champagnes, is single-vineyard (with massale selected, 40 year-old vines), single-variety (pinot), single vintage. It’s fermented and matured in oak casks, lending it a refined richness.

What else

Moreau first leased the vineyard in 2001, then purchased it and named her estate after her grandmother Marie Courtin.

Tasting Notes

The initial impression is rich, toasty and warming but with a pungent, reductive edge. Immediately the palate delivers a hard, glassy phenolic structure and tart, lifting acid; the yellow plum and yellow cherry fruit within are lively and bright. Interesting confluence of levity and richness.

Try It With 

Crispy roast poultry with savoury sauces.

When To Drink

After meal

Perfect For

Your friend who loves Krug but can't always afford it.

Tatler Tip

Don't dismiss it because of the oak; give it time to blow off a little.

TL/DR

Toasty and rich but precise.

Supplier

Avize Wine Cellar