Pascal Doquet Le Mont Aimé Premier Cru Coeur de Terroir 2009

Grape Makeup:

100% Chardonnay

Sweetness Level:

Brut Nature

Ageing on Lees:

11+ years

Price:

$$ (V)

Cellar:

5-10 years

Category:

Culinary

What

An organic estate making tiny-production, terroir-specific cuvées in the Côte des Blancs.

Where

Vertus, Côte des Blancs; 8 hectares, roughly half in the Côte des Blancs (where this wine comes from) and half in the area of ancient chalky deposits called the Vitryat ~50km southeast of Vertus; nearly all chardonnay.

Why

This vintage-dated wine, is made from the best parcel from the lieu-dit (“named vineyard”) Le Mont Aimé, with notably flinty soil that contributes a certain salinity to the wines.  Unlike the other top wines at this estate, this ferments partially (25%) in old oak and partially in enamelled steel and is not given any dosage, producing a more delicate, less rounded effect despite the vintage’s unmistakable warmth and generosity.

What Else

The domaine received organic certification with vintage 2010 but the vineyards have been managed without chemical herbicides since 2001. Doquet has been urging other growers to convert to organics and has seen the area of organic vineyard in Champagne rise from 2% to 8% over five years.

Tasting Notes

A cedary, expensive-smelling nose gives off cider apple fruit with some refined toasted nut notes: almond, cashew. On the palate there is gorgeous depth, the cider apples embellished with fresh and dried ginger, sarsaparilla and hints of chen pi. There is a seamless integration of acidity and body; both elements are quite forceful but balance each other out.  The finish has a brightening bitterness buried in its ginger snap toastiness.

Try It With

Rich, savoury stews —vegetarian or meat — as long as they are not sweet.

When To Drink

Main course or after dinner.

Perfect For

The one who has a VIP account at Loro Piana.

TL/DR

Cedary, layered and polished.

Supplier

Ginsberg + Chan