La Vigne Royale Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs 2007

Wine Description for La Vigne Royale Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs 2007 by Tarlant

Colour & Appearance

Luminous old gold with amber reflexes. The perlage is fine and persistent after over 14 years on the lees – a sign of exceptional maturity.

Nose

Complex and multi-layered: roasted hazelnuts, brioche and candied orange peel dominate. Beneath these, dried stone fruits, honeycomb and a delicate smoky note. With air, mushrooms, forest floor and a subtle iodine trace emerge, reminiscent of the terroir’s minerality.

Palate

Despite zero dosage, the wine is remarkably creamy and substantive. The bony acidity of the 2007 vintage is perfectly integrated, lending the Champagne tension and length. Ripe pear, quince and almond butter meld with saline notes and a striking chalk minerality. The texture is silky, almost oily, with remarkable depth.

Finish

Persistent and saline-mineral with an echo of citrus peel and toasted bread. The freshness endures to the end – impressive for a Champagne of this maturity level.

Terroir & Origin

From the single vineyard site „Mocque Tonneau“ in Celles-lès-Condé in the Vallée de la Marne. The vineyard sits on hard Lutetian limestone at 170 metres elevation with a 33% slope and south-facing aspect above the confluence of the Surmelin and Dhuys rivers. The extreme climate of 2007 – severe frost, legendary summer heat – shaped this exceptional vintage.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1991 from massal selection. Spontaneous fermentation in Burgundian oak barrels, 8 months on the lees, no malolactic fermentation. Bottled in April 2008, disgorged in June 2022 after over 14 years of bottle ageing. Brut Nature – without any dosage. Only 1,500 bottles produced.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Pan-seared scallops with hazelnut butter, turbot in Champagne sauce, sweetbreads with morels, aged Comté or Parmesan. The complexity also pairs well with truffle dishes.

Special Characteristics

A masterpiece of patient waiting. The combination of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, an extreme vintage and uncompromising vinification yields a Champagne of rare depth and authenticity – a Blanc de Noirs that proves great Champagnes need not be dosed.