I’m buzzing, and not because I savored a glass of this mindbending champagne while writing these words: Today’s offer is a long time in the making and a genuinely rare opportunity that few will ever have access to.
Ten months ago, only one bottle of Hervé Brisson’s “Le Long du Chemin” had ever entered America, and it just so happened to be sitting in front of me. At the time, nobody had heard of this mystery producer but I was determined to disseminate “Brisson” across every airwave. I later learned that this arcane, Certified Organic micro-grower rubs shoulders with legendary Champagne Ulysse Collin, and that today’s parcel-specific cuvée is Brisson’s top (and rarest) bottling. It’s sourced entirely from his oldest Chardonnay vines, all beyond the half-century mark, and it vinified and matured for an entire year in French barrels and custom-made sandstone jars before bottling. That alone catapults this Champagne into rarefied air. But then you factor in that just 100 cases were debuted for the entire world, and barely 20 of them were allocated to our 50 states. Are you starting to buzz too? You should be—this is incredible champagne that drinks like a complex, carbonated fusion of Savennières and Premier Cru Burgundy. Secure what you can; “Le Long du Chemin” won’t be returning anytime soon!
Hervé Brisson is a true micro-vigneron in Champagne, farming just three hectares of vines according to the most rigorous organic standards. His website, still under construction, is dominated by photos of his vineyards, and his US market presence is solely due to a recommendation from Champagne madman Vincent Couche, whose 20+-year-old stunners have become SommSelect favorites. Brisson’s farm—and isn’t it great to use the word “farm” in a land filled with Grand Marques—is in the village of Vert-Toulon, within the Vallée du Petit Morin. This area is essentially a small, southwestern extension of the famed Côte des Blancs, and it’s also the home of Olivier Collin, of culty Champagne Ulysse Collin.
Brisson’s vineyards, almost all of which contain Chardonnay, are family heirlooms, some of which were planted by his grandfather in 1952. For his top “Le Long du Chemin” bottling, Brisson only selects his oldest estate vines, aged between 50-70, and harvests them by hand at optimal ripeness. In the cellar, the juice was gently pressed and transferred via gravity—no pumps here—into a combination of neutral French barrels and sandstone jars for 12 months. Let me be clear: A primary vinification of this length, with these vessels, is virtually unheard-of in Champagne! After bottling without fining or filtration, the wine then rested 15 months on its lees before disgorgement and a four-gram dosage. Designated Extra-Brut, the wine is nevertheless textured and readily identifiable as Chardonnay, with a real “Burgundy with bubbles” quality. Only 100 cases were produced.
With Brisson’s inaugural release of “Le Long du Chemin,” I found that less carbonation and warmer temperatures provided greater depth, texture, and overall profundity so I recommend savoring this slowly in Burgundy stems, around 50-55 degrees, and swirling your glass often. This old-vine Blanc de Blancs beauty opens up with gorgeous swells of fresh white flowers, creamy green apple, lemon oil, freshly chopped nuts, lime leaf, crisp pear, and apricot skin alongside pulses of chalk, wet stone, and chamomile. It is a broad and deep champagne—not rich but not linear and lean either. It is energized and beautifully composed with perfect balance throughout, ending with a soaring explosion of orchard fruit and minerals. It brings to mind some gorgeous high-end Chardonnay bottles from Etienne Calsac and Benoît Lahaye with echoes of Ulysse Collin, too. Bottom line, it’s an absolute sensation. Enjoy.
