Only about 12% of all Bouzy vineyard land is planted to Chardonnay, but Paillard's 28 acres are, like the “Les Parcelles” bottling, 40% Chardonnay—much of it planted on lower-lying slopes, while the Pinot Noir occupies higher, more exposed locations. For all of the focus on Pinot Noir in Bouzy (and the Montagne de Reims in general), the Paillards point to the diversity of geology and expositions in just their own little piece(s) of it; this is the ultimate determinant as to what gets planted where. Some of their vineyards have been in the family since the mid-18th century, which is a winemaking history about as long as Bouzy’s itself; few if any producers can claim deeper roots in this terroir.

The grapes for Les Parcelles come from 22 individual plots with an average vine age of 25 years, and while it is labeled a ‘non-vintage’ wine it is, like all non-vintage blends, based primarily on one vintage with a smaller percentage of ‘reserve’ wines added according to the house style. This bottling of Les Parcelles is based on 2011 (65%) and 2010 (35%), and Pailard’s new labels—in keeping with a trend in Champagne to sneak out more information about vintages and disgorgement dates on labels—include a subtle roman-numeral 11 (‘XI’) as your tip-off. Another key element of style in Les Parcelles is that it’s an Extra Brut, with only 3.5 grams/liter of dosage, giving it an exceptionally balanced finish.

There’s a fascinating push-and-pull going on in this wine: the ‘base’ wines were aged on their lees (i.e. spent yeast cells) for 7 months in tank, then the wine spent 4 years on its lees in bottle after the secondary fermentation. This is a creamy, toasty Champagne, broad and palate-coating, little hints of red cherry and tart red currant peeking out amid a torrent of luscious yellow apple and pear fruit drizzled with a little honey and chopped nuts. Then it cleans up, finishing with a mineral-tinged “cut” that owes to both the low dosage and the high Chardonnay component. There’s plenty of power and opulence to identify it as a Bouzy wine, but also an elegance, a tension, that sets it apart.

Like so much great grower Champagne I’m more inclined to put this in a ‘regular’ white wine glass, allow some of the effervescence to dissipate, and allow the temperature to come up to about 50 degrees. The wine’s toasty and nutty elements come to the fore, as does what the Paillards call its ‘vinosity’—its almost red wine-like punch. It would be quite delicious with a savory/sweet/sour piece of cured salmon, or for an even noisier riot of minerality, some cured roe. A Champagne this impeccable deserves a pairing to match. Enjoy!