Winemaker Notes
These are some of the most exciting wines we’ve tasted in a very long time – pure expressions of Verzy Grand Cru, one of the most interesting and diverse terroirs in the Montagne de Reims.
Blend: 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Supertight and zesty, showing lemon-peel aromas and stony depth with restrained whiffs of butter and toast. Almost full-bodied and very vinous, this has smooth, fine bubbles with red-apple flavors. Tight-knit, well-integrated acidity is long and tingling with a polished mineral aftertaste. A blend of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay.
-
Wine Spectator
A sculpted Champagne that's firm and mouthwatering, yet the fine and creamy mousse softens the impression, bringing overall harmony. The baked white cherry, raspberry coulis, pickled ginger and anise notes are underscored by a streak of salty mineral, and accents of lime blossoms and graphite chime on the finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The NV Champagne L'Atavique Tradition Brut Nature is a Pinot Noir-based blend with 40% Chardonnay, comprising 55% from 2021 and the rest reserve wines. In the glass, it showcases fabulous red fruit character with richness and purity, complemented by savory and delicate toast and oak that gently frame the wine. Medium-bodied, it is pure and refreshing, with a supple, stony texture, featuring notes of grapefruit, orange pith, and sea spray. The mousse is elegant and rounded, with a delicate creaminess that also enhances the wine.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in February 2021 with two grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra-Brut L’Atavique Tradition offers up aromas of mint, lime zest, crisp orchard fruit and vanilla pod. Medium-bodied, taut and linear, it's chalky and incisive, with racy acids, a pillowy mousse and a long, saline finish. Best After 2021
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’