Certified sommelier’s take on Les Terres Mêlées 2022 – a single-varietal Pinot Noir Brut Nature from Domaine de Bichery: disgorged without dosage and sulphur-free, vinified 50% in casks and 50% in stainless steel, it matures for 24 months on the lees.
Bottler: Champagne Domaine de Bichery, 92 Grande Rue, 10250 Neuville sur Seine / France
In the glass
Colour
Deep straw yellow tending towards gold with a fine mousse
Nose
Elegant aromas of ripe apples, pears and citrus fruits, intertwined with notes of croissant and white nougat
Palate
Pure energy on the palate – a fresh acidic attack meets a creamy texture, accompanied by delicate spicy notes and ripe stone fruit
Character
A Champagne that highlights its Côte des Bar origins – mineral tension meets serene elegance, with no adjustments
Pairing
With smoked trout, white marzipan cheesecake, or simply on its own alongside a ripe apple tart
Notes
Pure Pinot Noir from two plots (“Les Mees”/“Val ligé”), disgorged with 0 grams of dosage; each bottle matures for at least 24 months on the lees
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Deep straw yellow tilting towards gold, threaded with a fine, persistent mousse — a picture of concentration and ripeness.
Nose
A seductively elegant bouquet: ripe apples and pears meet citrus fruits and juicy stone fruit. These are joined by notes of freshly baked croissant and white nougat — a nose that promises both freshness and a certain opulent depth.
Palate
The opening is an attack of pure energy, driven by vibrant acidity and lively effervescence. Yet the wine quickly becomes calmer and more elegant, the texture turning almost creamy. Throughout, the mineral tension remains ever-present. Aromas of finely spiced citrus, ripe stone fruit and hints of red berries intertwine into a dense, focused whole.
Finish
Long and complex, with a fascinating note of praline and salt crystals that cleanses the palate and leaves behind a saline, almost maritime freshness.
Terroir & origin
The grapes come from two plots, “Les Mees” and “Val ligé”, in the terroir of Neuville-sur-Seine, in the heart of the Côte des Bar. Here, on limestone-rich slopes above the Seine, Pinot Noir grows in cool, mineral soils — the foundation for this Champagne’s taut structure.
Grape variety & vinification
100% Pinot Noir, white-pressed. The base wine was fermented half in Burgundian barrels (pièces) and half in stainless steel. Following secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine matured on its lees for at least 24 months before being disgorged in February 2025 with no dosage (Brut Nature). Unfiltered, unfined, no added sulphur — an uncompromising expression of its terroir.
Food pairings
The combination of creamy texture, ripe fruit and saline minerality makes this Champagne an ideal partner for pan-seared scallops with a light citrus butter, pan-fried sole fillet, or even mature Comté. It also makes an exciting match with white meats, such as loin of veal with morel jus.
Special characteristics
This Champagne is a Blanc de Noirs of radical clarity. The decision to forgo any dosage and sulphur demands perfect grapes and precise cellar work. The result is a wine of unadulterated authenticity, bringing the chalky origins of the Côte des Bar and the signature of Raphaël and Hannah Piconnet straight into the glass, unfiltered. A Champagne for purists and explorers alike.
