Champagne Petit & Bajan Blanc de Noirs Obsidienne Brut Grand Cru NV (Magnum 1.5L)

This 100% Pinot Noir comes from owners Veronique Bajan and Richard Petit’s estate vines in the Grand Cru village of Verzenay – one of the three original Grand Cru villages in Champagne. The Pinot Noir is grown in the clay and chalk soils of their parcels, and allowed to fully mature on the vine. Typically, it is their holdings, alongside their illustrious neighbor Champagne Jacques Selosse, to begin their harvest last, often not even starting until a week or two after the other wineries have completely finished for the year. The grapes are immediately pressed and carefully fermented, with a finely-tuned selection of cultivated yeasts and bacteria to incite both primary and secondary fermentations. This release utilizes a base wine of the 2014 vintage, with noticeable development over the 11 years since harvest. With 72 months on the lees and a disgorgement of July 2021, this has had plenty of age time, both on the lees and cork, adding even further levels of depth and complexity to this delectable bubbly! 

Richard and Véronique were married for over a decade when they united his family holdings in Avize – prime Chardonnay lots in the Côte des Blancs passed down for generations – with her family holdings in Verzenay, where Pinot Noir reigns supreme in the Grand Cru lands of Montagne de Reims. This was 2008, and in the short time since, their reputation has grown astronomically. It was Richard’s longtime neighbor, the legendary Anselme Selosse (who has run one of Champagne's foremost luxury houses, Jacques Selosse, since 1980), who served as their mentor as they transitioned from grape growers to grower-producers (a récoltant-manipulant). In the same vein as Selosse, they make Champagne from fully ripe grapes, producing full and hearty wines that excel with or without food.

The wine’s aromas are deep and warm, with muddled raspberries, alpine strawberries, and red cherries melded with black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Similar berry and cherry notes are found amongst the flavors, with complementary notes of fresh-baked brioche, Tahitian vanilla, and more black pepper. The mouthfeel is creamy, rich, and velvety – with a supple elegance that carries the wine into a long and refined finish. The flavors will linger long after you swallow your sip, and pair perfectly with roast duck with cherry sauce. This would seamlessly slide into a line-up of high-end Champagnes in the $250+ range, yet we’ve got magnums for under $160! One of the easier choices of the day!