Guy de Forez is from the village of Riceys in the Aube, one of the five main regions of Champagne. Riceys actually rests only a couple kilometers away from the border of Burgundy. Thanks to its close proximity, the soil resembles that of Chablis more than the rest of Champagne. Boasting Portlandian and Kimmeridgian limestone, the minerality of these wines is truly remarkable and this bottling exhibits an extremely pure expression of its terroir. Purity of terroir is not the only asset to be found at Guy de Forez; the winery, nestled in a 17th century estate, looks out over the vineyard that Sylvie Wenner’s grandfather planted back in the 50’s. Sylvie and Francis Wenner now run the family operation with a respect for history and tradition while continually pursuing progressive initiatives in the vineyard and the winery. Guy de Forez was one of the first wineries in the region to look toward sustainability and many have followed suit. They began farming lutte raisonée, then decided to push the envelope even further. They have championed the government’s Ecophyto plan to reduce chemicals in farming practices throughout France and have recently obtained Terra Vitis Certification, which has done a tremendous amount to protect the environmental heritage of the land and the vine. This pursuit of purity and excellence is certainly reflected in the glass. The magnificent Guy de Forez Brut Reserve is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, aged in stainless steel with 10 grams per liter of dosage. All of the fruit for this bottling is from the near perfect 2010 vintage, although the wine is not vintage dated.