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Tarlant
In 1911, winegrowers blocked the roads in Champagne. In the middle of it all: Louis Tarlant, The spirit of Champagne Tarlant lives on today at Champagne Tarlant. This spirit lives on today at Champagne Tarlant - Benoît and Mélanie are the twelfth generation to run a winery that has existed since 1687 and has been producing champagne without any dosage since the 1970s. Decades before Brut Nature became a trend, the Tarlants were already doing without sugar. 14 hectares, divided into over 55 plots, all seven authorised Champagne grape varieties, ungrafted vines from the 1880s - this is where rebellion and craftsmanship come together to produce champagnes of uncompromising purity.
More about Tarlant
The revolutionaries from Œuilly
When the major champagne houses imported grapes from all over France and even Portugal and sold them as champagne at the beginning of the 20th century, the winegrowers had had enough. In 1911, the Champagne revolution - and Louis Tarlant was at the forefront. As mayor of Œuilly, he organised the resistance and helped fight for the AOC borders. After seven years in the First World War, he returned to find devastated vineyards - and vowed never to sell another grape to the big players. In 1928, he bottled his first own cuvée. At that time, there were fewer than ten independent vintner champagne producers in the entire region.
Zero before the time
Jean-Mary Tarlant, father of Benoît and Mélanie, continued the rebellion. He began at the end of the 1970s, Champagne without any dosage at a time when he was laughed at for it. Today, 90 per cent of Tarlant's production is Brut Nature. No added sugar means: nothing can be corrected. The wine must be convincing on its own. To this end, Jean-Mary returned to barrel fermentation when everyone else had long been working in steel tanks. The current generation - Benoît in the vineyard and cellar, Mélanie in sales and management - has consistently continued along this path: Organic farming, wild yeasts, no filtration, no malolactic fermentation.
Sand that defeated phylloxera
The „Les Sables“ vineyard is aptly named. The soil is so sandy that phylloxera was never able to gain a foothold there. The Tarlants planted vines here in the 1880s ungrafted Chardonnay-Vines - via the „bent cane method“, in which a shoot is buried until it takes root. Such pre-phylloxera vines make up less than 0.1 per cent of all Champagne vines. The La Vigne d'Antan is the result: a Blanc de Blancs of breathtaking minerality, matured on the lees for eight to twelve years.
Equally remarkable: the La Vigne d'Or, a pure variety Pinot Meunier In a region that Meunier often regards as filler, this champagne shows the depth that the variety can achieve.
BAM! - The forgotten grapes
The acronym stands for Blanc, Arbane, Meslier - three almost extinct Champagne grape varieties. While other producers rely on the classic three varieties, the Tarlants cultivate all seven authorised varieties. The BAM! combines 46 per cent Petit Meslier with Pinot Blanc and Arbane - late-ripening varieties that Benoît Tarlant sees as a response to climate change. „Plant diversity is the key to becoming more resilient,“ he explains.
Twelve generations, one principle
The Tarlants are on a par with winegrowers such as Georges Laval, who have proven that great champagnes do not come from marketing departments. Their bottles can be found on the menu at Noma in Copenhagen - voted the best restaurant in the world five times. What began in 1911 with street blockades is now a silent revolution in bottle form: Champagne that hides nothing and everything shows.
Frequently asked questions about Tarlant
What does „Brut Nature“ mean for Tarlant Champagne?
Brut Nature means that no sugar (dosage) is added to the champagne after the second fermentation. At Tarlant, over 90 % of production is Brut Nature - and has been since the 1970s, long before this became a trend. The result is champagnes of uncompromising purity, in which terroir and grape quality are expressed unfiltered.
Which grape varieties does Tarlant use?
Tarlant cultivates all seven grape varieties authorised in ChampagneChardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and the rare varieties Pinot Blanc, Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris. Particularly noteworthy are the ungrafted pre-phylloxera Chardonnay vines from the 1880s in the „Les Sables“ vineyard.
What makes Tarlant Champagne so special?
Tarlant emphasises three factors: 12 generations of experience since 1687, the pioneering role in sugar-free champagne since the 1970s, and unique terroir treasures such as ungrafted vines from the 19th century. These are complemented by organic farming, wild yeasts, barrel fermentation and ageing on the lees for 8-12 years - methods that many houses are only now rediscovering.
What is the best Tarlant Champagne for beginners?
The Tarlant Zéro Brut Nature is the ideal introduction: an assemblage of all three main grape varieties that perfectly embodies the Tarlant profile - precise, mineral and without dosage. We recommend La Vigne d'Or for Pinot Meunier lovers and La Vigne d'Antan from pre-phylloxera vines for Chardonnay fans.
Is Tarlant an organic champagne?
Yes, Tarlant cultivates all 14 hectares according to biological principles. Benoît Tarlant does not use herbicides or synthetic pesticides. The work in the vineyard is based on biodynamic practices, even if the winery is not seeking official certification - for the Tarlants, it is the substance that counts, not the label.