Fabien Cazé is part Champagne prodigy, part madman. He surveils his six microscopic parcels like a hawk, demands all work in the vineyard be carried out by hand, and refuses to let a drop of “-cide” touch his vines. His cold and pitch-black cellar invites long, ambient fermentations to occur in an assortment of old French barrels while a colony of bats (seriously) watch it all from above, eradicating all wine-seeking pests. When it comes to disgorging and adding a low dosage, there is no recipe to follow; it’s all done by blind tasting and whatever he feels best complements that specific wine. All of this—his impassioned ambition, exacting philosophies, and non-formulaic mentality—is why he’s soared into stardom in just seven years’ time.
In fact, after releasing his second vintage ever, some of the region’s finest and most respected growers tapped him to join “Terres et Vins de Champagne,” an exclusive, 18-count group focused on terroir and authenticity. Think about that for a moment: In just two years’ time, and out of thousands of vignerons, only one in all of Champagne was already rubbing elbows with legends like Agrapart, Bérèche, Suenen, Laval, and Tarlant. So, if you want to experience a legitimate “producer of the moment,” plus an exceptional paragon of the clean, minimalist, hands-off grower movement, Cazé-Thibaut’s “Naturellement” is for you. NOTE: Because of limited quantities, we must limit purchases to six bottles.
Drawing on a family history in the Vallée de la Marne that goes back 10 generations, and wholeheartedly embracing the tenets of organic and biodynamic viticulture, Cazé is a major star in the grower Champagne firmament. He hand-farms just 2.66 hectares of vines in the neighboring villages of Châtillon-Sur-Marne and Vandières, ferments his wines in barrels using native yeasts only, and gives all three Champagne grapes their own cuvée in which to shine. Cazé knows Pinot Meunier is both underrepresented and well-equipped for standalone stardom, and “Naturellement” is compelling, mineral-etched proof.
Despite his long family history in Châtillon, Fabien only released “his” first wines in 2013; and, like a lot of young, up-and-coming producers in Champagne, his focus is squarely on the health of his vineyards. This has been perhaps the greatest upshot of the grower Champagne movement—an emphasis on place-specificity and sustainable viticulture. So much of Champagne marketing in the past took its cues from the spirits business, or, for that matter, the fashion industry: luxury “branding” was the objective. The grassroots, ‘guerilla’ appeal of tiny houses like Cazé-Thibault is incredibly appealing to me because the emphasis is on what’s inside the bottle—where it should be!
Fabien draws from six organically and biodynamically farmed parcels for today’s 100% Pinot Meunier bottling, each one harvested separately and by hand. The grapes were slowly pressed and gravity fed into French oak barrels of various sizes in Cazé’s cold cellar where a slow, native-yeast fermentation occurred. It comes entirely from the 2018 vintage and carries an extra-brut designation, having received a minuscule dosage of just 2.5 grams after disgorgement in the first few months of 2020.
I’m sure you’ve now processed the fact that this barely spent time on lees—just about 15 months or so—but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable or complex. That’s the real beauty of the grower movement: They’ve proven extended aging isn’t a requirement for profundity! Cazé-Thibaut’s “Naturellement” is 100% Meunier that simply pulses with energy and refinement, and it all starts with clean, naturally farmed vines. In the glass, the wine shines a pale straw-yellow with hues of light copper and silver. The nose reveals perfumed, savory aromas of preserved lemon, red apple, bruised pear, blood orange peel, menthol, wildflower honey, lees, crushed chalk, chamomile, and acacia. The palate is soft, sublime, and radiating with delicate layers of red fruit and finely crushed earth. It finishes with mouthwatering finesse. Serve in all-purpose stems—this really starts to shine after shedding carbonation—around 50 degrees and enjoy over the next 2-3 years. Cheers!
