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Stéphane Coquillette, Les Clés, Grand Cru Brut

Other, France NV (750mL)
$49.00
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Stéphane Coquillette, Les Clés, Grand Cru Brut


To say that fourth-generation winemaker Stéphane Coquillette hails from good stock would be quite an understatement. His father personally crafts, down to the hand-labeling of bottles, one of my favorite Grower Champagnes in the world. Stéphane was mentored by his father then was sent out to forge his own estate with his family’s blessing at the tender age of twenty-five. Although his style is his own and his wine’s expression are that of his vines’ specific terroir, Stéphane’s Champagnes reveal the family’s careful dedication and respect for time-honored tradition in every glass.
 
Stéphane is as dedicated to meticulous auteur winemaking in the cellar and the vineyards as his grand old man. He practices organic viticulture, hand trellising, pruning and harvesting of his ten separate parcels where he hand ploughs then covers the ground with bark to prevent disease and promote a healthy crop. The wine we have on offer today, “Les Clés,” is derived from roughly fifty-five year old vines that are 100% Grand Cru Pinot Noir, grown in the commune of Aÿ, which lies in the Vallée de la Marne sub-region of Champagne. Just north of Epernay, across the River Marne, this parcel in Aÿ is nestled on the picturesque, sunny southern flank of Montagne de Reims where limestone rests atop almost a foot of arable earth over a vast mother rock of chalk. It is from this highly respected, Grand Cru terroir that Stéphane crafts a wine that is simultaneously broad and voluptuous while being fresh and delightfully lively. The fact that we can offer a wine of this immense quality and lineage for less than $50 is nothing short of a miracle.
 
This wine exhibits a beautiful golden core with a slightly green rim engulfing incredibly small, persistent bubbles that meander to the surface of the viscous liquid, already hinting at this wine’s power on sight. This voluptuous, slightly oily blanc de noir boasts aromas of yellow apple, white peach, dried berries, coconut crème, freshly baked brioche and ample lees with evident creaminess on the nose. The incredibly broad and expansive champagne confirms the nose and lends an incredible freshness that offers the ideal balance to this fuller style Champagne. This particular bottling, possessing a full and intense nose and viscous body is everything I desire in a pinot noir-based Champagne. It shows best after ten to fifteen minutes of air when it should be poured in an open-mouthed Champagne or all-purpose stem; a tall, thin Champagne flute should be avoided at all costs as it stifles the mesmerizing aromas. This wine will embrace a vast array of food from scallops to various poultry dishes; it can enhance anything that features mushrooms, cream sauce or citrus. For added inspiration, I personally recommend, this duck breast with roasted peaches.
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceÄy
Soil
Chalk and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Neutral

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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