A single-varietal Pinot Meunier Champagne from the “Pierre de Bellevue” lieu-dit in Œuilly. With 16 years of lees ageing and zero dosage, this rare Blanc de Noirs reveals all the depth and maturity that old Meunier vines planted in 1947 can achieve.
Bottler: Champagne Tarlant, 51480 Oeuilly / Epernay / France
In the glass
Colour
Golden yellow with amber highlights, generous yet fine mousse.
Nose
Apple-cinnamon cake, lemon meringue and ripe stone fruit on a base of brioche, toasted almonds and delicate toffee.
Palate
Rich and vibrant with hints of caramel and toffee, yet elegant and lifted by remarkably fresh, lively acidity.
Character
A mature, complex Brut Nature with remarkable balance between richness and freshness – a Champagne of depth and finesse that showcases the often-underestimated Meunier variety at its finest.
Pairing
Roasted chicken with morels, aged Comté, duck confit with caramelised apples.
Notes
Single-varietal Meunier from vines planted in 1947 in the “Pierre de Bellevue” lieu-dit – a rarity in a region where Meunier is often used solely as a blending component. Spontaneously fermented, without malolactic fermentation, aged for 16 years on the lees and disgorged with no dosage: uncompromising purity in just 1,300 bottles.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Deep golden yellow with amber reflections; the mousse is abundant yet fine – a picture of maturity and patience.
Nose
A classic, inviting bouquet: apple cinnamon cake meets lemon meringue and ripe stone fruit, supported by brioche, toasted almonds and a hint of toffee.
Palate
Rich and vibrant at once, elegant and full of finesse. The style is mature, with notes of caramel and toffee, yet a remarkably fresh acidity keeps everything taut. Not a gram of dosage – and none is missed.
Finish
Long, tight and saline-mineral; sixteen years on the lees leave a nutty, almost honeyed depth that finishes cool and dry.
Terroir & origin
The single vineyard Pierre de Bellevue in Œuilly, Vallée de la Marne: 15% gradient, north-east facing aspect at 125 metres above the Marne. The subsoil is Sparnacian – calcareous clay from the Ypresian age. Germaine and Georges Tarlant planted the vines in 1947 via mass selection; the vineyard is managed with minimal soil cultivation, natural cover cropping and Poussard pruning.
Grape variety & vinification
100% Pinot Meunier – a variety many houses treat as blending material, yet here it reveals its full depth. Slow gravity pressing, spontaneous fermentation, seven months on the lees in Burgundian oak casks, no malolactic fermentation, no fining. Disgorged after 16 years on the lees, dosage 0 g/l, only 1,300 bottles.
Food recommendations
The mature, nutty structure can handle substantial dishes: roasted chicken with morel jus, medium-aged Comté, cured char or duck confit. Also a delight with roasted cauliflower with almonds.
Special features
A vintage Meunier from 75-year-old vines, bottled by a house that has eschewed any dosage since the 1970s – decades before Brut Nature became fashionable. Tarlant, established in Œuilly since 1687 and now run by the twelfth generation, proves with this wine that Meunier is no mere filler but capable of greatness: ripeness without heaviness, richness without sugar.
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