One thing you’ll notice on this wine’s beautiful label, in type nearly as large as the Coutier family name, is “Ambonnay”—the name of one of Champagne’s most-celebrated Grand Cru villages, located right in the heart of the Pinot Noir-dominated Montagne de Reims subzone. Ambonnay is home to many of our very favorite grower-producers (Egly-Ouriet; Paul Déthune; and, yes, R.H. Coutier), and is known for a higher percentage of clay in its soils and a slightly warmer microclimate than most of its neighbors, resulting in more sumptuous, deeper styles (along with some of the better examples of Coteaux Champenois still wines from Pinot Noir). Yet while Ambonnay, and its Grand Cru neighbor, Bouzy, may be primarily associated with Pinot Noir, Coutier—today run by fourth-generation proprietor René Coutier—is noteworthy for a significant stand of Chardonnay in its vineyards as well. René’s father was the first to plant Chardonnay in Ambonnay, way back in 1946, and this is a key component of the Coutier house style: René Coutier utilizes 25% Chardonnay in his 2008 along with 75% Pinot Noir (a blend that reflects the makeup of their 9 hectares of vineyard plantings), which he believes infused an otherwise dense, full-bodied Champagne with a jolt of electricity.

About 80% of the Coutier estate’s fruit is still sold off to local cooperatives; the family reserves their best fruit for themselves, producing only about 2,000 cases across a range of different cuvées. The Brut Millésime 2008 was fermented in stainless steel and only partially completed malolactic fermentation, which helped maintain freshness. The mixture of power and focus is incredible—a hallmark of the best Champagnes—and its aging potential is readily evident. In the glass, it’s a lustrous gold with flecks of copper and green, with aromas of yellow apple, salted lemon, citrus pith, white cherry, red currant, beeswax, warm brioche, and crushed white stones. It is full and palate-coating but simultaneously perfectly fresh; the overall effect is deep and resonant but backlit and energized in a beautiful way. This will lend sumptuous, eyebrow-raIsing class to your most important occasions, but I’ve still got to steer you away from traditional thin flutes—serve it in elegant white (or even red) wine stems at 50 degrees to fully appreciate its aromas and textural breadth. Serve it as a first-course pairing with steak tartare topped with black truffles, or, if raw beef isn’t your thing, maybe the attached recipe for tuna tartare, with its complementary flavors of ginger and sesame. This is a gastronomic Champagne you can turn to with confidence for the next 15-20 years. Enjoy it!