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We continue with the Champagne Weeks. Today with a winery from an unknown part of Champagne that relies on Pinot Meunier and produces fruity-mineral champagnes with great sensitivity.
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Until the end of August you can get 7% Discount on all Winemaker Champagne, from a purchase value of 250€. Please use the code: "CHAMPAGNERWOCHEN" at the checkout.
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Jeaunaux-Robin
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« Thanks to Champagne's winemakers, more and more of whom are setting out to define their own style and highlight the particularities of their sites, it is still possible to discover corners of Champagne that you have never heard of. »
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The small winery Jeaunaux-Robin was founded in 1964 by Michel and Marie-Claude Jeaunaux in the village of Talus-Saint-Prix on the border between Côte de Blancs and Côte de Sézanne. Today, it is their son Cyril Jeaunaux and his wife Clémence Robin who look after the vineyards. The small estate of only five hectares is mainly planted with Meunier, a grape variety that resists the late frosts common in this region. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also grown on a few small plots.
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With the transition from organic to biodynamic viticulture, Jeaunaux-Robin has also become synonymous with respect for terroir and tradition. The grapes are still processed by hand in basket presses and vinification takes place spontaneously in steel tanks, glazed concrete or used oak barrels that are at least 10 years old.
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The resulting wines bring out the minerality of the soil: a mixture of clay and limestone with a high proportion of flint, which is rarely found in Champagne.
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A large limestone cave directly under the cellar creates the perfect conditions for storing the bottles between 2 and 7 years before disgorgement.
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« Cyril's champagnes are fruit-driven thanks to the Meunier, but always reflect the specificity of the place and its soils. This is also evident in the varietal Chardonnays. With their spicy and round character, always oscillating between fruit and refreshing bitterness, his champagnes are very gastronomic and gain even more by accompanying food. »
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The entry-level cuvée "Éclats" Édition Speciale offers a lot of champagne for the money and is a talking point with its iconic labels. The style of the house is clearly defined here: fruit-intensive and, despite high minerality, round and catchy. Also as Rosé version available.
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Vallée du Petit Morin
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Jeaunaux-Robin is located in a very special terroir called Vallée du Petit Morin, which takes its name from the tributary of the Marne that crosses the valley. Because of the many small lakes and wetlands, which have great biodiversity but are not suitable for viticulture, the vineyards are all away from the water, on the gentle slopes of the east side of the river. The area looks much "wilder" than in the rest of Champagne.
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Symbolic of this is the Prestige Cuvée Fil de Brumewhich in French means "swathes of mist" that often drift through the little valley in the morning. The champagne initially appears much crisper and with more pressure than the brioche nose would lead one to expect. This is wonderful; because in addition to the almost fleshy character, the champagne is fresh and bright as well as clear, showing a slight spiciness and an interplay of ripe fruit and pleasant bitter notes that seem almost tonic. The winemaker has aimed for rondeur and gourmandise, and that is exactly what he has succeeded in doing excellently.
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The Vallée du Petit Morin is one of the 17 terroirs of Champagne and belongs to the Côte de Blancs sub-region, which borders the Côte de Sézanne to the southwest. The soil is known for its great minerality. Jeaunaux-Robin is a prime example of the unique style of this unknown region.
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