BORÉAL, Brut Nature 2022

Wine Description for BORÉAL Brut Nature 2022 by Clandestin

Colour & Appearance

Straw yellow with delicate apricot reflections and persistently fine perlage – a visually inviting Champagne that already hints at its origin from ripe Pinot Noir grapes in the glass.

Nose

Fascinatingly multi-layered: the nose oscillates between moderate autolysis and fresh citrus fruit. Sourdough bread crust, salted hazelnuts and green almonds meet citrus zest, cedro and candied orange peel. Red-fruited lingonberries provide tart counterpoints, whilst distinctly saline notes immediately evoke maritime associations – an invitation to the sea.

Palate

The attack surprises with rich, juicy fruit – testament to the fully ripe 2022 grapes. The texture is creamy, the mousse fine-beaded and elegant. Slightly red-fruited notes combine with a multi-layered, natural character. The ripe fruitiness contrasts with a precise, gripping minerality that becomes increasingly reductive and purist in the finish.

Finish

Reductive and demanding: the finish shows itself taut and mineral, almost austere in its rigour, yet with impressive length. A Champagne that combines openness with asceticism – simultaneously inviting and challenging.

Terroir & Origin

From three parcels with northern exposure in the Côte des Bars (Aube), characterised by clay-limestone soils. The vines, at least 20 years old, are farmed biodynamically and deliver concentrated, characterful grapes with uniform ripeness.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Pinot Noir, spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts, each parcel vinified separately. Ten months‘ ageing in neutral oak barrels (300–500 l), 15 months on the lees, disgorged September 2024. Brut Nature – without any dosage, unfiltered and uncompromisingly authentic.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The saline minerality cries out for oysters and seafood. Also an excellent choice with smoked fish, sashimi, scallops or aged Comté.

Special Features

Collaborative project by Bertrand Gautherot (Vouette & Sorbée) and Benoit Dousset – a radical, unvarnished terroir Champagne that bears the signature of its makers and deliberately eschews compromise.