Folks, we are squarely in a golden age of Champagne. Quality is sky high, and the range of styles and prices available has never been better. But if richly textured, luxuriously framed, minerality-for-miles Blanc de Blancs is your sweet spot (and it surely is mine!) then I don’t think you can top today’s discovery. André Robert are Mesnil specialists, and this Grand Cru is widely considered the best for soaring Chardonnay based Champagne, which is why we’ve offered their wines many times. Yet somehow we’ve never managed to get our hands on their top wine, “Collection d’Auteur,” until today. From a single, glorious vintage, and their best parcels of tiny production vines, this is truly one of the most perfect renditions of Blanc de Blancs on the market today. And the cherry on top is that it costs much less than other tête de cuvée bottlings from famous houses. The 2012 vintage is spectacular and will last for years–grab as much as you can!
Given our years-long obsession, you may be surprised to learn that Le Mesnil-sur-Oger was only elevated to Grand Cru status in 1985. Although, by that time, it was a simple formality because most vignerons were already in agreement that this was one of the finest terroirs in all of Champagne. As Champagne geeks know, this village is effectively 100% devoted to Chardonnay, all of it Grand Cru. The village’s east-facing slopes, sheltered by thick woodland on the hills above, are perfect for ripening Chardonnay that maintains racy acidity and beautiful, high-toned aromatics. Champagne geeks will also know that one of the most famous vineyards here is “Les Chétillons'' and that is one of the four parcels that is used to produce the “Collection d’Auteur.” The other main plots are: “Les Vaucherots,” “Les Coullemet du Midi,” and “Les Finciarts,” all of which have extremely low yields. This means that the Robert team can harvest quite late without losing any acidity–a key factor in their ability to coax maximum ripeness and structure out of their top wine.
So how did Champagne André Robert gain access to these distinguished sites? The family has been farming, living, and growing grapes here for five generations. Although the crafting and distribution of their own label didn’t occur until 1962, it didn’t take them long to find a groove: they were already equipped with the finest real estate, elite viticultural know-how, and a hand-carved chalk cellar in the village of Mesnil. But it is fifth generation proprietors, Claire Robert and her husband Jean-Baptiste Denizart, who have taken all that exquisite raw material and rocketed this estate into the top tier of Chardonnay focused growers in Champagne.
Claire and Jean-Baptiste are proponents of using neutral barrels to age their wines prior to bottling and secondary fermentation: it helps to tame the very high natural acidity and add more texture to the finished Champagne. Usually they use a mix of barriques and steel tanks, but for the “Collection d’Auteur” it is 100% used 228L French oak barrels. After six months of oak aging, this Mesnil masterpiece is then ready to undergo the slow bottle fermentation–aging an astounding eight more years on the fine lees before disgorgement.
The power, elegance, and vinous nature of this soaring 2012 are best served in a Burgundy bowl at a cool 50 degrees, where the pale, shimmering platinum-gold hue and perfect perlage will wow even the most jaded Champagne enthusiast. And then get ready for Grand Cru Mesnil perfection on the nose: ripe apricots, creamy apples, citrus blossoms, lemon curd, brioche, toasted hazelnuts, grilled pineapple, and crushed rock. The palate is ripe, expansive, and mineral, with a bevy of opulent orchard and stone fruits inside a filigreed shell constructed of citrus peel, sea salt, and chalk. The structure of the 2012 vintage is such that this wine will not only age well, it will improve for many years to come. You need some for now, and some for later, so don’t wait because we don’t have many bottles to spare!
