Vouette & Sorbée Textures Brut Nature NV

Grape Makeup:

100% Pinot Blanc

Sweetness Level:

Brut Nature

Ageing on Lees:

16+ months

Price:

$$$

Cellar:

Up to 5 years

Category:

Culinary

What

A torchbearer for the biodynamics movement in Champagne with an experimental bent, named after the estate’s two principal vineyard holdings.

Where

Buxières-sur-Arce, Côte des Bar; 5 hectares, almost all in Buxières.

Why

Textures is one of the rare pinot blanc varietal champagnes produced in the region; it comes from a single lieu-dit (Fonnet) on Kimmeridgian clay (like the soils in Chablis) and, to up the esoteric ante, is vinified in a buried Georgian amphora (aka qvevri), all of which boosts its texture (hence the name); this disgorgement was based on the 2016 vintage, and its richness and volume are evident here.

What Else

Fidèle, Vouette & Sorbée's famous Blanc de Noirs and the Saignée de Sorbée are two of my all-time favourites, both characterful, ripe and resonant examples of these two styles that have excelled in the Côte des Bar thanks at least in part to proprietor Bertrand Gautherot’s example.

Tasting Notes

Pungent and a little wild, this has a nose laden with heady, tropical notes of mangosteen and mango, maybe a little pineapple, even durian, with butter biscuit yeastiness. There is a pineapple upside down cake richness on the palate, which is full-bodied and round with enough acidity to contrast but not give any angles.  This oily, buttery texture never firms up, even on the finish, where a primal, yeasty sourness like a sourdough starter comes to the fore.

Try It With

Potently flavoured dishes like Thai pomelo or green mango salads.

When To Drink

Entrées.

Perfect For

The person whose next holiday destination is always 10 times cooler than yours.

Tatler Tip

This is an unusual, recherché cuvée for somebody who appreciates its scarcity (it almost always gets sold out); save it for somebody who will get it.

TL/DR

Pungent, wild and buttery.

Supplier

Champagne Asia