I love that some of today’s coolest, trendiest winemaking accessories are the kinds of tools one might have used in the 1800s: a big, handsome draft horse to plow vineyards with; a cow’s horn for burying biodynamic mixtures in the soil; or maybe an old, wooden grape press. Just as there are still bespoke tailors and custom furniture makers out there, there are still plenty of winemakers—a growing number, actually—who are determined to do as much as possible by hand.
That is Michel Chauvet’s mission at Lancelot-Royer, a tiny récoltant-manipulant (i.e. ‘grower’) Champagne house in the Côte des Blancs village of Cramant. His 2008 vintage bottling isn’t here just because of its charming origin story: This is as opulent and finely detailed an expression of Chardonnay as exists in Champagne (or anywhere else, for that matter). Its combination of depth, savor, and purity makes for an absolutely thrilling glass of wine. Its artisanal bona-fides are the icing.
This 2008 really is love at first smell, like walking into a French bakery on a chilly morning. Its deep, creamy, brioche-dough aromatics owe to its exceptionally long lees aging (usually 6-7 years) in Lancelot-Royer’s hand-excavated caves in Cramant. Champagne geeks have come to associate the Cramant village with some of the best Chardonnay in Champagne—and, by extension, the world—and Lancelot-Royer farms 12 hectares of vineyards here, all of it Chardonnay and 100% Grand Cru. The property, one of Cramant’s smallest, was founded in 1960 by Pierre Lancelot, who turned over management to his daughter, Sylvie, and her husband, the aforementioned Michel Chauvet, in 1996. With Michel at the helm, Lancelot-Royer has dedicated itself first and foremost to the manual labor of wine: from harvest to riddling to disgorgement to bottling, Chauvet literally has his hands on everything.
Perhaps his only allowances to modernity are his stainless steel fermentation vessels, which line the damp, chisel-marked walls of the old cave. The hand-harvested fruit is pressed by hand in an upright, wooden press, then fermented using only indigenous yeasts. The 2008 was aged a total of eight years in bottle, was riddled and disgorged by hand, and received less than 9 grams of dosage. The wine is, of course, unfined, unfiltered, and hand-labeled. The product of a generous vintage, this 2008 is pure pleasure to consume now, but will gain slightly nuttier and more savory characteristics with each year of careful cellaring. Either way, you are assured a luxurious, richly complex Champagne experience.
The 2008 Grand Cru Cramant Millésime displays incredibly small bubbles that traverse a viscous, concentrated golden yellow core. The opulent nose reveals aromatics of creamy lemon curd, dried pineapple, honey, brioche, white mushroom, raw hazelnuts, a touch of apple blossom, crushed chalk and that magical kiss of oyster shell. The round yet supple palate is medium-plus in body and captures luxurious richness with a heavenly lift of acidity and chalk-driven verve. Proper glassware is critical here. Avoid the tall, thin Champagne flutes that are (or should be) collecting dust in the back of your cabinet; these glasses are akin to watching opera solely through binoculars. Opt instead for either an open-mouthed Champagne flute, Riesling stem or an all-purpose white wine stem. If you have yet to purchase a set of modern, open-mouthed stems, there are several affordable examples on the market like these Riedel
Ouverture Champagne Stems. Let this opulent Champagne rise to about 60 degrees and most definitely pair it with food—this is without a doubt a main-event, main-course wine. Check it out alongside this delicious
recipe for pan-seared trout with tarragon béchamel sauce and enjoy the ride!
