Based in the Grand Cru village of Oger, Quentin, and Marine Vincey have used the last decade with impressive efficiency – acquiring parcels in nearby Le Mesnil and Vertus, alongside the family’s traditional plots of old-vine massale selections here at their home in Oger. Today, their small but mighty holdings amount to some 8 hectares in total, with the core used for this fine bottling, the revered land of Oger.

Their focus from the start was the health and quality of their terroir – and recently achieved certifications for both organic and biodynamic agriculture, after years of farming and certification efforts. Whilst working and growing their vineyards, the next logical focus became securing a winery – an oftentimes difficult prospect throughout Champagne, and perhaps especially so in the revered and rare Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. When it seemed like it might not turn out as planned, the Vincey’s secured a winery in nearby Villeneuve-Renneville – a Premier Cru village a short drive south of Oger. Here, they acquired the Château de Renneville as a sort of back-up, in case they were unable to move forward with their preference for a winery in Oger. As luck would have it, they soon after secured their winery in Oger, allowing them to make use of the Château de Renneville as a working farm, where they concoct much of their biodynamic preparations, and make use of the land as a sort of open-air commune, experimental laboratory, and think tank for many of the region’s biodynamic practitioners – like the De Souza family and more.

For this cuvee, the chardonnay from their holdings in Oger is pressed in a traditional Coquillard press, before flowing via gravity into their deep and cold cellars below. The juice is fermented via native yeasts, without any sulfur, in a combination of 250 and 500-liter Champagne barriques and tonneaus. Minimal intervention is practiced as the wines develop in barrel – with some lots going through malolactic fermentation, and others not. Some select lots will even develop a “flor” – similar to the reductive and oxygen-deprived styles of the Jura – and used with great effect in Champagne by great houses such as Selosse and Chartogne. 

Following 12 months aging in barrel, this wine experienced a partial malolactic fermentation and was blended without fining or filtration. The wine was then bottled to age on the lees for three full years, before a disgorgement in October of 2022. This cuvee is a brut nature, so no dosage was added prior to corking, but given the richly developed flavor and texture of the wine – that would come as a surprise to nearly anyone who would experience the wine without the benefit of first reading the label. 

The wine pours a lightly golden hue, with an immediate and profound aroma profile that bursts with everything from toasted hazelnuts to bushels of orchard apples, to lemon zest, and whispers of oaky spice elements. The flavors are powerful and impressive – with more orchard fruits, plus herbal tea notes of chamomile, lemon verbena, and ginger. Exceptional minerality of chalk and river stones carries throughout, with rich and spicy finishes of cardamom, clove, and vanilla further extending this wondrous sip into the realm of ethereal. When one critic calls this “a great blend of sumptuousness and verticality” and another remarks that “this attention-grabbing bottling has a ton to offer…”, you can rest assured that I am not merely blowing smoke (as though I ever would!!!).

This is a simply gorgeous bottle that needs to be experienced. Not much to be had, but I’ll let you in on a secret – since so many of you will miss out on this exceptional bottling – we secured more of this rising star producer’s other bottlings for offers to come!