Champagne Charlier & Fils Blanc de Noirs Meunier Addict Extra Brut 2014
Under $50 for Rare Extra Brut Pinot Meunier Champagne!
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Why We Love It...
Champagne Charlier et Fils is situated in the Grand Est region, with roots back to 1892. Founded by the legend himself, Armand Perrin, this estate has passed down from father to son and mother to daughter for over a century – uniting the Charlier and Perrin families forever in the process. Their underground cellar goes back a couple hundred years, and these grower-producers do it all on-site – farming, harvesting, pressing, vinification, aging, and bottling.
Their vineyard is spread out over 41 separate plots, on 5 different hillsides, planted to 20% chardonnay, 11% pinot noir, and 69% of their personal favorite, pinot meunier. The plots all enjoy a warm southern exposure, allowing for fully ripe meunier to lend its classic aromas and delicacy to the finished wines. This exceptional cuvee is 100% pinot meunier, all from the 2014 vintage, with an Extra Brut level dosage of just 4.8 grams… and it is a treat!
Fermented and aged in oak barrels (Armand Perrin’s first trade was a cooper, so barrels were never in short supply), the wine possesses an elegance and delicacy of careful, small batch rearing. The resulting nose is highly expressive, with a basket of stone fruits ranging from Mirabelle plum to yellow nectarine to galaxy peach. The mousse is lively and fresh, delivering a crunchy minerality of tumbled limestone, tempering the velvety richness of pastry dough and vanilla chantilly cream. This is an excellent find for us, and very few spots in the U.S. have this rare cuvee at all. Humble brag – but at over $20 less than the competition, you’re gonna wanna grab this here!
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Champagne Charlier & Fils