Winemaker Notes
100% Chardonnay. From a 0.4-hectare parcel of vines planted in the 1960s in the Tarlants' home village of Oeuilly. This northeast-facing slope features eolian soils with stones of silex, flint being quite rare here. 2011 is the first bottling of this single parcel, brought about by the demise of black grapes in 2011 (normally this Chard would have been incorporated with the two Pinots in another wine). These certified-organic bunches were hand-harvested and gently pressed; the juice was fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel vats. The wine was aged in barrel with no malolactic fermentation before bottling in May 2012. The bottles were aged sur lattes, disgorged in 2022 and finished with zero dosage. "L'Enclume" means "anvil", in reference to the shape of the vineyard parcel.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Founded in 2011 and disgorged in December 2024, the 2011 Champagne L’Enclume Brut Nature comes from east-facing vines planted by Benoît and Mélanie’s grandparents, sourced from two parcels of Chardonnay (including one from the 1960s on siliceous small pebbles). Tasted alongside the Coteaux, it’s a stunning wine all around. A medium yellow color, it comes from a very challenging vintage yet shows none of the difficulties – it’s the light at the end of the tunnel for 2011. Made entirely from Chardonnay on silex soils, it offers notes of lemon bars, poached pear, apple, delicate spice, and flint. Medium-bodied, it’s focused and energetic on the palate, with refreshing acidity and mouthwatering electric energy. Drink 2026-2045. It’s fantastic.
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James Suckling
Very zesty, racy and slightly eccentric, this shows aromas of preserved lemons, grapefruit, peaches and biscuits, as well as some Sichuan peppercorns. It's lively and electric on the palate, bone-dry and sharp, with lots of biscuit character from long autolysis as well as peppery, smoky and salty hints at the end. Very long. From chardonnay vines grown on silex subsoils, uncommon in Champagne. Disgorged December 2024 after more than 12 years on the lees. Drink or hold.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
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.’