Having visited the tightly knit Marion-Bosser family during my recent travels, I can confidently say I’m both a subscriber to their classic ‘Burgundian’ philosophies and an avid supporter of their delicious micro-production wines. Marion-Bosser’s 2008 is a resounding achievement that can rival almost any Champagne you want to throw at it—they have the terroir, traditional style, and forbearance needed to craft a world-class vintage Champagne (something they manage to release at a ridiculously affordable price).
Due to 2008’s ideal weather conditions, which will go down as an all-time classic, this aged nearly eight years before disgorgement and rested an additional amount of time before the Marion’s allowed their 160-case production to be released to a thirsty public. We don’t know how many cases made it to the US, but based on our negligible allocation—only four bottles per person today—and the dearth of restaurants carrying it, I would guess there aren’t many others floating around. A blend of the greatest Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites plus 10 years of total age? Even after buying this magnificent, powerfully rich Champagne, I still don’t believe the price!
When I visited Champagne back in April, Marion-Bosser was my first stop. I was exhausted, coming directly from a nonstop week in Burgundy, but having read and heard so much praise about them, we grit our teeth and made the drive. As luck would have it, within minutes of arriving at their quaint house in Hautvillers, Charlotte (my 10-month-old) pointed out a
brilliant double rainbow that started in the vineyard directly in front of us. The Marions even said it was the first they had seen in over 50 years—hinting at the good fortune to come? With slack jaws, we shuffled back inside and began tasting through their lineup of Champagnes. They were all stunners, but everyone in our group kept returning to their unbelievably complex 2008 Millésime—it was drained in no time at all.
Somewhat of a rarity in Champagne (and, still, the entire wine world), Marion-Bosser is a highly respected, female-operated house. Nearly ten years ago, cellarmaster Elodie Marion took over the family domaine after eight years of working the vines and cellars with famous Burgundian names: Patrick Piuze of Chablis and Henri Boillot of Meursault. Marion-Bosser’s female ownership dates back much further, though: The domaine has been in the family’s possession for over 100 years, having transitioned from mother to daughter with each passing generation. It wasn’t until 1994, however, the family took a huge step and decided to make wine themselves. Elodie’s mother, Bernadette, began studying and subsequently crafting wines in their hometown of Hautvillers (they are just a few doors down from Dom Perignon’s resting place,
which we also checked out). Today, Elodie and Bernadette tag-team the operations, and their grandmother still helps in the vineyards come harvest time!
This 50/50 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend is sourced from some of Champagne’s greatest terroirs. The Pinot Noir is sustainably farmed from their small holdings within the Premier Cru villages of Hautvillers and Cumières, and their Chardonnay comes from the Grand Cru villages of Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant. That’s a lot of pedigreed terroir packed into one bottle! This mother-daughter operation are also advocates for sustainability—they plow their vineyards, debud and thin the vines manually, and apply natural fertilizers. Their vines average 35 years of age and, as is the law in Champagne, all grapes are harvested by hand. They are then gently pressed at a local cooperative and alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. For 2008, 80% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation—lending a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Once bottled, the wines were laid to rest in the beginning of 2009, where they aged, undisturbed, until their disgorgement in October of 2016. They were dosed at 8 grams of sugar per liter and allowed to rest further after being sealed under a natural cork.
Marion-Bosser’s 2008 shows impressive youth, despite its decade of age. If served blind, calling this a 10-year-old Champagne would be extremely tough: It shows incredible vigor, with fine, active beads that storm through the deep yellow core and out toward platinum reflections. The enticingly opulent nose reveals ripe yellow apples, quince, French pastries, toasted almonds, peach flesh, Rainier cherry, white and purple flowers, crushed chalk, and accents of gingerbread spice. The palate is layered, nearly lush, and pushing toward a full-bodied Champagne, but it finishes crisp and precise with perfect tension—thanks to the powerful, high acid grapes of the near-perfect 2008 vintage. Since Marion-Bosser did the bulk of aging for you, it’s a wine that can be enjoyed now or later without sacrificing an ounce of taste. The best crafted wines of 2008 will age effortlessly for decades, and this is one of them: expect it to keep performing over the next 10-15 years. Serve in all-purpose white stems around 55 degrees and treat yourself with blinis, crème fraîche, and caviar—you can afford a few ounces seeing as this top-of-the-class Champagne comes in at such a great price. Cheers!
