Champagne Pehu-Simonet Blanc de Noirs Fins Lieux N°1 Verzenay Les Perthois Extra Brut Grand Cru 2015

David Pehu cares deeply for his vines and his winemaking methods, and doesn’t seem to bother comparing either to any of his peers. The Les Perthois vineyard is certified organic, with David gradually moving towards a greater implementation of biodynamic practices. His intention is to express the soul of his vineyards, and his wines are singularly unique as a result. They are vinous and somewhat mysterious, too. This is a deeply engaging wine that drinks like intelligent conversation – back and forth, with much to say, but little to be resolved. A humble and memorable chess match. A road trip with deep appreciation for the journey as much as the destination.

Like the rest of his portfolio, David doesn’t allow the wine to undergo malolactic fermentation – preferring instead that his Champagnes shine with uncompromised freshness and purity… which, of course, they do. But this choice also compels him to age his cuvées far longer than most before releasing, as the intense and searing malic acids need a few more years to integrate relative to the far more easygoing lactic acids. All of this is intentional, and his prowess is inherited from a long line of vignerons.

David is the fourth generation of his family to produce estate-bottled Champagnes, and in his house, you can see old Veuve Pehu labels from the early 20th century. His grandfather sold Champagne under the Antonin Pehu label, and in the early 1970s, his parents created Pehu-Simonet, with the introduction of vines from his mother’s side of the family. David has been involved in production since 1988, and at the helm since 1995. Of Pehu-Simonet’s 7.5 hectares of vines, 6 are in Grand Cru villages, with some 3.5 hectares of vines in Verzenay, as well as holdings in Verzy, Sillery, Mailly, and Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims, plus 6.5 acres of Chardonnay in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the Côte des Blancs. 

In this captivating wine, the aromas begin with a mature and ripe pluot, followed by red cherries and lilies. From there, the palate turns toward chalky clay, red apples, roses, and lavender, before turning warm and spicy with toasted anise and black peppercorn. The finish moves toward a mass of jagged and crushed granite rocks, with a depth that drags and stays for a minute or more. There’s a lot going on with this, and so much to dwell on further still. I’m excited to have a few for my collection – to be cherished over the next several years. I can’t advocate for this wine enough, and Champagne purists will certainly want to watch this estate with care over the coming years!