The Huré brothers (frères) stormed onto the Champagne scene when they took over for their father in 2008, crafting impeccably pure wines at shockingly modest prices. The pair are lovers of biodynamics and embrace a Burgundian sensibility you’re guaranteed to notice in today’s wine—which has quickly become one of my affordable Champagne go-tos.
As far as non-vintage brut goes, Huré Frères surpasses every quality marker throughout the process. They start with top-notch vineyards handled with utmost sustainability and follow with ‘vintage-level’ bottle aging and a light dosage. You’ll notice that the layers of “Invitation” are pronounced and nuanced at once, never overwhelming your senses or weighing down your palate. It’s an elegant and extremely refreshing Champagne that carries itself with a certain creaminess—all while retaining a laser-sharp focus. Huré Frères has found the proverbial “sweet spot” and with an impressive amount of reserve wine added to its 2013 base vintage, it’s both complex and fresh—everything I crave. Enjoy yourselves with this one: it’s a superior value for Champagne!
Although not technically a récoltant-manipulant (RM, or “grower-producer”), everything Huré Frères does from philosophy to farming—they own 80% of their vineyards—to production reflects a grower mentality. Their operation was formed over a half-century ago by Jeanne and Georges Huré, who later handed it off to their three sons, at which point Huré Frères was officially born. Brothers Jean-Marie, Marc, and Raoul successfully ran and expanded the business from 1971 until 2008, when Raoul’s wine-educated and world-traveled sons, François and Pierre, took the helm.
The grapes for “Invitation” are sourced from various vineyards, several of which are estate-owned and farmed organically. The Pinot Noir and Meunier come from two Premier Cru villages within Montagne de Reims—Ludes (their homebase) and Villedommange—and the valley commune of Serzy-et-Prin, just northwest of Reims. The small traces of Chardonnay found in the blend hail from Vavray-le-Grand within Vitry, a relatively obscure grape-growing region many large houses utilize for their NV blends. This area is almost entirely planted to Chardonnay and, due to its southern location (50 miles slightly southeast of Reims), grapes tend to result in elegant, fruit-forward wines.
The Huré brothers have implemented organic and biodynamic principles in several of their vineyards since 2009—fertilizing with compost, following lunar cycles, ploughing regularly, debudding manually, eschewing herbicides—and their vines average 35 years of age. After hand harvesting, all parcels are vinified separately in Ludes and the wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation. As this is a NV wine, up to 40% reserve wine—an impressive percentage—is blended into the base vintage (2013). The final Pinot-heavy blend then ages in bottle for three years before being disgorged and topped off with a light dosage of 6 grams per liter, which technically qualifies it to be labeled as ‘Extra Brut.’
In the glass, “Invitation” shows a bright straw-yellow core with glinting platinum hues at the rim. The nose is delicate, almost reticent at first, but notes are soon coaxed out with a bit of air. You’ll pick up aromas of white cherry, red apple skin, plum, toast and brioche, candied Meyer lemon, fresh cream, and citrus zest alongside steely mineral-driven notes of crushed stone and chalk. The palate is medium-bodied, but the fruit delivers a ripe mouthfeel with a perfectly balanced dose of sweetness. It’s a charming Champagne—not opulent or weighty—that shows great tension of minerality and fruit, all while providing ample freshness. While this can easily stand up to heavier pairings, I think it’s best suited for apéritifs, next to ham and cheddar croquettes—you all know how partial I am to Champagne and fried foods! Consume in all-purpose stems or a wide-mouthed tulip around 55 degrees and feel free to let it evolve in bottle over the next couple of years. The sensible dosage and large portion of reserve wines will preserve it nicely. Enjoy!
