Champagne Stéphane Regnault Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Dorien (still) 2019
A rare bird when considering the wines of Champagne, we don’t often think of them in their still state. But as it stands, Champagne should stand magnificent as a still wine, as much as it does a sparkling. Here the Dorien cuvée greatly appreciated as the most complex and thoughtful of Stéphane’s wines, as a perfectly formed still wine. All the tautness of a Blanc de Blancs however deeply brooding. On the nose, morning croissant, chalk duster clap, lemon oil, and a lean of bruised apricot. The palate has so much presence to it, with acid & minerality that opens to white nectarine, lemon balm, and honey. Chablis lovers, come flock.
From the Hautes-Mottes vineyard, with a terroir that lies on the far side of the railway in the plain south of Le Mesnil. 'Hautes-Mottes' means 'high mound' and refers to the unusual chalk veins extending into the plain. It was planted in the 1950s and the 1980s and is .95 hectares with a southern exposition. Hand harvested.
It's rare that you see still wines coming out of Champagne, sometimes you will see a still Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier wine made, but rarely a still Chardonnay.
Stéphane Regnault is one of those rare producers, making a still vintage blanc de blanc from his Grand Cru plots. Organic, biodynamic Chardonnay from a tiny plot.
super limited, only 500 bottles produced.
