Those who love the crème de la crème of Grower Champagne surely know that acquiring any one of Chartogne-Taillet’s single-vineyard micro releases is a thrilling, if infrequent, occurrence. Case in point: I’ve only experienced them a few times in my life so I soak up every encounter as if it’s my last. As a devout follower of cutting-edge Champagne, I also take pride in knowing producers like Chartogne as comprehensively as possible, but even I was surprised when I got ahold of “Les Couarres,” a Pinot Noir rarity that’s only been released a handful of times. What I discovered behind this micro-parcel label was pure, soulful, supernatural energy which fortified my belief that Chartogne-Taillet exists at the absolute summit of Grower Champagne right now.
Other than today’s singular, dishearteningly limited bottling, there are a couple of bulletproof reasons why: (1) Chartogne-Taillet is the only récoltant-manipulant in his ancient home village of Merfy, a town renowned for its wines since the Middle Ages, and (2) in the words of Peter Liem, “there may be no producer in all of Champagne who feels a greater sense of obligation to preserve his vineyard’s past than Alexandre Chartogne.” Perhaps nowhere else can you find barrel-vinified Champagnes that are so consistently unique, terroir-specific, and meticulously tended from start to finish. You may remember when his black-label “Les Barres” disappeared inside 30 minutes last year—we expect the same outcome here. Our order will be arriving at our warehouse in one week. Limit six bottles per person, complimentary Ground Shipping on three. This parcel will be arriving at our warehouse at the end of next week.
[NOTE: If this is your first time seeing our Friday night series, welcome. My name is Mark Osburn, writer and sommelier at SommSelect, and you’re likely familiar with the many Champagnes I’ve waxed rhapsodic about for over the years. My goal is simple: to offer you rare Champagne exclusives and/or highly allocated sparkling gems that have to be pried out of an iron grip. These special offers don’t happen every week, but they will always be on a Friday night...stay ever-vigilant.]
When Alexandre Chartogne took over his family’s 300+-year-old grape growing operation in 2006, he had mightily big shoes to fill, but he came well prepared: Having learned directly alongside cult Champagne legend Anselme Selosse (whom he calls his ‘wine father’), natural farming, terroir specificity, and minimalist yet masterful winemaking were fresh on his mind. It also helps that all of his parcels are confined to the historic village of Merfy, just northwest of Reims, an area that has produced wines of renown since the beginning of the Middle Ages. Because of his dedicated quest to revive these ancient micro-terroirs, he has extracted pure, one-with-nature Champagnes that make for a transcendental experience. One taste is all you’ll need to forever commit Chartogne-Taillet to memory.
In the “Les Couarres” vineyard—a microscopic, calcareous-sand parcel in western Merfy—Alexandre farms with an all-natural mindset by avoiding any chemicals/synthetics and removing mechanization. Plowing is done by horse and his vines never experience the cold touch of metal, only hands. After manually harvesting his Pinot Noir in 2015 (an exceptional vintage in which Pinot Noir thrived), the precious juice was pressed into neutral French barrels and allowed to ferment via ambient yeasts over many months. Following, it was transferred into bottle sans filtration in 2016 where it then aged on lees for nearly four years. It was disgorged in June of 2020 with a judicious dosage of six grams, qualifying it as an extra-brut. This batch arrived in America at the end of August. Note: This is not to be confused with Chartogne-Taillet’s “Couarres Château” a separate and strikingly different Pinot Noir Champagne from an adjacent vineyard.
If quantities weren’t always so ridiculously limited, I’d selfishly hoard a case but the reality of the situation is far grimmer—even taking two bottles wouldn’t be fair to you all. So, please be sure to give each one you purchase the proper care and attention it needs by (1) avoiding Champagne flutes at all costs, (2) enjoying a touch warmer around 55 degrees, and (3) trying to make a bottle last for the entire evening because the evolution of Chartogne is always spectacular. These are intelligent, meditative Champagnes that ooze typicity, minerality, and spellbinding charm. You’ll uncover generously soft notes of sliced red apple, European pear, redcurrant, bruised plums, brioche, citrus peel, toasted hazelnuts, crushed stones exotic spices, underbrush, fresh cream, and dried rose petal which all transforms into a multi-textural, sublimely supple mouthfeel on the palate. It’s finesse and broad-sweeping energy is accompanied by an intense core of pulverized minerality that creates a profoundly long and mouth-watering finish. Without question, Chartogne-Taillet is an iconic grower and this is one of his prized bottlings—do not miss this incredibly rare opportunity. Enjoy now and over the next 5-7 years. Cheers!
