Pascal Doquet Vertus 1er Cru Coeur de Terroir

Tatler Champagne Guide 2024-2025

Grape Makeup:

70% Chardonnay; 30% Pinot Noir

Sweetness Level:

Brut (actually Extra Brut)

Ageing on Lees:

12+ years

Price:

$$

Cellar:

Up to five years

Category:

Culinary

What

An organic estate making tiny-production, terroir-specific cuvées in the Côte des Blancs, founded by Doquet in 2004 using family holdings with covetable old vines.

Where

Vertus, Côte des Blancs; 8+ ha, 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 is one of the few blended wines from Doquet (other than the rosé), showing off this Chardonnay specialist’s hand with red grapes. All the fruit comes from Vertus Premier Cru in the southern Côte des Blancs—now firmly Chardonnay country, though historically prized for Pinot Noir, especially in the clay-rich soils south of the village. Oak barrel vinification with native yeast has created a wine built to age, which it has done rather gloriously, thanks in part to 2009’s ripe but bright-acid profile.

What Else

The Anthocyanes Rosé from Vertus and Bergères, a Côte des Blancs cru known for Pinot thanks to its clay-rich soils, also has a solid helping of Chardonnay (50%). The blend combines the attractive 2016 with the stunning 2015 vintage, giving generous tones of strawberry, mushroom, wet straw and malty richness on the back.

Tasting Notes

Rich and mature, this has dense, heady bergamot fruit, drawn butter shading into brown butter and a canelé spicy sweetness, growing almost velvety. The texture has a matching unctuous voluptuousness, edged with jittery acidity but in a way that adds freshness to the profile. The core is surprisingly compact, its fruit edging towards satsuma with more brown butter. The effect is very delicious without coming off as sweet, and with a finish that is malty and rich but with sharp acidity like a spear through the middle. Wonderfully aged Chardonnay.

Try It With

A thick-cut, exquisitely marbled steak

When To Drink

Main course

Perfect For

Your friend who puts more butter on everything

Tatler Tip

This is in a great place right now, enjoy within the next few years at least.

TL/DR

Velvety, mature and gourmand

Supplier

Ginsberg + Chan