In the early 1900s, the Côte des Bar region where Fluteau resides wasn’t even considered a part of Champagne. Matter of fact, in 1911, a classification excluded the entire Aube region from the prestigious label, instead forcing producers to label wines raised here as “Champagne deuxième zone,” or essentially “second-class Champagne.” (Ouch.) It was in part thanks to the Fluteaus and their innovative efforts, alongside a few other early houses, that the great houses of Reims finally waved the white flag, allowing the Côte des Bar to join the Champagne classification – though they forbade the status of Grand Cru and Premier Cru for any of the area’s vineyards. They argued the fruit could be used for blending, but great wines surely couldn’t be produced singularly here…yet, the Fluteaus stand as proof for just how wrong they were!

Some of our Last Bubbles crew has had the great fortune of visiting the property, and – beyond the stunning vineyards and exquisite Champagnes – we found that this house has even more to offer: a no-nonsense, ever-reverent approach to winemaking, honoring family history, and tending the land. The serene village of Gyé-sur-Seine has been home to the Fluteau estate since 1935, and the family still produces their wines in the original winery. With his sister, Adeline Fluteau, heading up admin and sales, Jeremy Fluteau leads the winemaking efforts in about as practical, black-and-white sense as imaginable. No waxing poetic about land and beauty, he takes a more straightforward approach, almost as though he’s an engineer destined to crack the code for producing the most high-quality Champagnes possible…and succeeding. Although his personality leans more stoic, his wines may be the very opposite: expressive, ebullient, and exciting in every way. He effortlessly balances time-honored techniques with the integration of newer technologies to craft his incredible selection of small-production cuvees.
 
Case in point: This grand “Coeur de Cuvee'' (heart of the blend) –  a 100% pinot noir wine with 50% harvested in 2018 from the Fluteau’s historic site of Les Evallons, a single plot planted in 1960, with the other half pulled from reserve solera wine. Primary fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, while malolactic fermentation completes the process to stabilize and preserve the wine's lip-smacking freshness. Strong aromatics waft from the glass with notes of almond biscuits, cherry blossoms, rose petals, lemon pastry, and a smudge of vanilla bean. The Côte des Bar signature robust fruit flavors emerge on the palate with sensations of raspberry tartine, juicy peach, orange zest, and lemon, with a tart and mineral undercarriage to balance out the big fruit of it all. Totally generous, vibrant, and ample with a balance of fruit and acid, this 94-point, HALF-OFF Champagne is certain to impress and win over the hearts of all who imbibe…the name even says so!