As Eric Asimov noted recently in the New York Times, producers in Champagne have fully embraced ‘single-vineyard’ wines. Whereas Champagne production was long focused on the art of blending, an ever-growing number of producers are opting to shine the light on their vineyards and the diversity of terroir that exists in the Champagne region.
The single-vineyard designation is hardly new—witness Krug’s “Clos du Mesnil” or Philipponnat’s “Clos des Goisses”—but it is rapidly expanding. Today’s 100% Pinot Noir bottling from young Flavien Nowack is named for its vineyard source, “Les Bauchets,” in the Vallée de la Marne village of Vandières. It’s a prime example of what might be called the ‘Burgundification’ of Champagne production, which is to say that its ‘house style’ is determined by its place, not by a person (or négociant). It is focused and deep, with a proportion of barrel-aged base wine lending richness, and it is decidedly ‘varietal’ in its expression. You really smell and taste the Pinot Noir here, and the mineral and saline component of the earth as well. The wine seems to tell a new chapter of its story every few minutes, as the best Champagnes do. It’s become difficult to keep up with all the impressive grower Champagnes turning up on our shores, but rest assured we are doing our best: Flavien Nowack’s is one of the most exciting new projects in Champagne and today’s offering is some of the first wine from this emerging talent. This is not to be missed!
And since this is Champagne we’re talking about, even a young upstart draws on many generations of family tradition in crafting his wines. As is so often the case in this region, the Nowack family has been rooted in the village of Vandières since 1795, when Jean-Baptiste Nowack emigrated to Champagne from Bavaria. The Nowack family became well-known as manufacturers of tile and brick, all the while cultivating vineyards. They established Champagne Nowack in 1915 and its dimensions haven’t changed much: Flavien, who took the reins in 2012, oversees 3.6 hectares of vineyards in Vandières, a village on the rive droite (“right bank”) of the Marne River. In the hierarchy of Champagne villages, Vandières is classified as an autre cru (“other cru”), which is the rung under Premier Cru, and its positioning on the “right,” or north, bank of the Marne means its vineyards enjoy mostly southern exposures.
There’s another interesting wrinkle to the Nowack story. While Flavien has “taken over,” so to speak, he has done so gradually: In order to finance his new project, he continues to make traditional blended Champagnes under the family label (“Champagne Nowack”). At the same time, under the Domaine Flavien Nowack label, he targets prized parcels which he converts to organic farming. When he feels the parcels are ready, he features them in a cuvée under his own label. The first releases, including today’s wine, are single-vineyard, single-variety bottlings which prominently feature the parcels he has taken over and is most excited to work with. These include “Les Bauchets,” “La Tuilerie,” and “La Fontinette.”
The soils in “Les Bauchets” include a greater proportion of sand and clay than chalk, a composition that is typical of the Vallée de la Marne and especially favorable to the Pinot Meunier variety. Pinot Meunier, which Nowack also vinifies in varietal form, is the dominant grape in the Rive Droite area, which is considered a distinct sub-zone of the broader Vallée de la Marne.
But Pinot Noir is the star of “Les Bauchets,” which Nowack describes as an especially sandy site with a southeasterly aspect. The vines here were planted in 1983, and the base wines for this cuvée are aged in a mix of tank and oak barrels. It spends 36 months aging on its lees before being disgorged and bottled as Extra-Brut, meaning it receives an even smaller dosage than a brut.
There’s an intriguing mix of power and precision in “Les Bauchets,” as well as a readily identifiable Pinot Noir character that shines through in every sip. In the glass, it’s a classic straw-gold with hints of copper, displaying a fine, persistent ‘bead’ and a highly perfumed nose of white cherry, red apple, dried rose petal, shortbread biscuit, wet stones, and citrus peel. The palate is dense and satisfying but also laser-focused, with great aromatic persistence on the long finish. Like all hand-crafted Champagne, it will age for decades if kept well but of course offers tons of pleasure right out of the gate—as we always do, we recommend serving this vinous sparkler in ‘all-purpose’ glasses rather than flutes, and at a temperature closer to that of the cellar (50-55 degrees) than the refrigerator (40). Its smoky, red-fruited character makes it a fancy apéritif choice alongside some salmon croquettes, although it has the stuffing for main-course dishes as well. Then again, there’s really no occasion, or meal, that’s not improved by good Champagne. Don’t you agree? Cheers!
