José and Sébastien Sanchez run this family estate in Cumières, a Premier Cru village in the Vallée de la Marne just 3.5 km from Épernay. The house has been in the family since 1954, and today's estate is built on generations of hands-on vineyard work: manual plowing, cover cropping, and a certified organic approach that puts the health of the soil first. In the cellar, every cuvée is still riddled by hand, a detail that speaks to the family's commitment to traditional Champagne craft even as they bring in modern technique where it serves the wine.

This bottling puts Meunier entirely on its own, a grape usually cast as a supporting player in Champagne blends. It's sourced from the estate's Premier Cru parcels in Cumières, where chalk, limestone, and clay soils provide the drainage and mineral backbone the variety needs to shine solo. The 2012 is vinified completely in stainless steel to preserve precision and fruit purity, then given extended aging on the lees before release with zero dosage. The result is a vintage-dated, Extra-Brut Champagne that shows just how serious single-varietal Meunier can be when it comes from the right site.

Why You'll Love It

• It's a rare chance to taste Meunier unblended and un-sweetened, from a Premier Cru village built for it.
• The nose opens on baked apple, quince, and toasted hazelnut, layered over a faint brioche note from extended lees aging.
• On the palate, lively acidity carries ripe pear and citrus zest, framed by a saline, chalky minerality that keeps the fruit from ever going soft.
• The finish is long and precise, with a mineral snap that keeps you coming back for another sip.
• Zero dosage keeps everything taut and food-friendly, making this as at home at the table as it is on its own before dinner.

How To Serve It

• Chill it to 45-48°F, cold enough to keep the structure tight without muting the aromatics.
• No decanting is required, though a few minutes in the glass let the toasted and brioche notes open up.
• Pour it into all-purpose stems rather than a narrow flute, giving the wine room to show its layered aromatics.
• At the table, it's a natural match for seared scallops with brown butter and toasted hazelnuts, or classic Champagne companions like soft-ripened cheese and oysters.