All lovers of Egly-Ouriet—and that would be just about every SommSelect subscriber by now—may have had the pleasure of tasting their powerful “Les Vignes de Vrigny,” crafted from 100% Pinot Meunier. The wine is electric, rich, and complex all at once, exuding luxury from start to finish. This hard-to-achieve combination is made possible by old vines, a focus on sustainability, years of cellar aging, a low dosage, and an incredible interplay of richness and finesse. Francis Orban’s Extra Brut proudly checks off all these markers—really, the similarities are striking, except when comparing his low, low price.
As long as we’re drawing comparisons, I may as well bring another blockbuster name into this: Krug, one of Champagne’s greatest names, known for their best-in-class non-vintage wines, inimitable vintage bottlings, and super-rare single-vineyard releases. Two of their major sources for Meunier come from the Vallée de la Marne villages of Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme, which is exactly where Francis Orban’s seven hectares of estate vines are located. This is a microscopic grower-producer with a heart fully dedicated to the cultivation of old-vine Meunier in two locations that Krug deems best. In terms of opulence, balance, energy, and astoundingly ripe fruit, this Extra-Brut floored our entire team, and it did so at one generously low price—so take advantage of it!
So what’s the big deal about Meunier? Briefly, it’s a black wine grape historically used for blending throughout Champagne. It ripens earlier and buds later than Pinot Noir in this chilly northern French climate and typically results in a fruitier, more accessible wine. This translates into powerful aromatics and brilliant freshness, which is why Champagne producers love using it for blending! Domaine Francis Orban, however, is in a small, but ever-growing (for a reason!) company of Champagne producers that crafts Meunier as a pure varietal Champagne and the results are just spectacular. Orban doesn’t do this for show either—he’s dedicated to this grape. Nearly 90% of his vines are planted to Meunier.
The Orbans aren’t newcomers, either. Established in 1929, Orban became one of the very first grower-producers in the aforementioned village of Leuvrigny and they’ve since continued that tradition for four generations. Located on the Seine River’s left (south) bank, or ‘Rive Gauche,’ this clay-rich terroir is best-suited for Meunier. Francis’ vines here, and in Sainte-Gemme, a village located on the opposite bank, are roughly 40 years old and farmed sustainably. After hand harvesting—the base vintage was 2015—a traditional Coquard press,
like this, was used to press the grapes and then both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation occurred in stainless steel vats. Following, the Meunier was blended with a whopping 50% reserve wine from the years 2014, 2013, and 2012! The wine was then bottled, where it aged nearly three years on its lees. Similar to Egly’s “Les Vignes de Vrigny,” it received a tiny dosage of three grams per liter.
Francis Orban’s Extra Brut Meunier is a remarkable Champagne. It pours a soft yellow with a subtle hint of copper-gold and within seconds, bursts with extremely high-toned aromatics. You’ll be wrapped in ripe orchard fruits of all colors, followed by bright citrusy components, white pepper, and layers of crushed rocks. Upon tasting, you’ll swear the dosage is mislabeled, but that’s the beauty of pure, vibrant Meunier fruit. It’s polished and sumptuous, yet contains unending freshness and piquancy. The palate is nearly full-bodied and releases layers of savory earth and notes of Bosc pear, Rainier cherries, white plums, fresh brioche, edible flowers, and red apple skin, all underpinned by a crunchy minerality. It’s wonderfully balanced and addicting with a blindingly bright finish. This is a paragon of single-varietal Champagne that showcases the brilliance of Meunier from two top sites—it cannot be missed at this price! Open now or over the next five years, and when consuming serve in all-purpose white stems around 50-55 degrees. Pair with this incredibly quick pan-seared ahi tuna and be sure to have a bottle on the table and a backup in the fridge. Cheers!
