Winemaker Notes
This flagship cuvée of the house is blended with 20% old-vine Chardonnay aged in large oak casks. Its silky texture, of great finesse, lingers on the palate and reveals pronounced minerality, followed by aromas of toasted bread and honey. The finish unfolds with butter and brioche notes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A super-tight and elegant wine with aromas of butter, citrus, chalk, minerals and flowers. Light-bodied, it shows zesty acidity, a super tight-knit structure, great balance and flavors of fruit and toast. Drink or hold.
Across four generations, the family's passion for wine has defined their story. It all began in the early 20th century when René Schloesser, a young Luxembourg farmer, sought a new life in Champagne and crossed paths with Lucie Coutelas, a fellow farmer from Romery. In 1927, they wed, and when economic woes gripped France, they boldly started making and selling their own champagne with just 1,000 bottles, personally delivered by René on his bicycle to the railway that led to the Parisian market. After WWII, their maison thrived, reaching 5,000 bottles by 1950, as Suzanne, their daughter, wed Jean Tribaut, merging their vineyard holdings in Romery, Cormoyeux, and Fleury la Rivière marking the inception of the brand we now know as Champagne Tribaut-Schloesser.
Today, 4th generation brothers, Sébastien and Valentin, continue the tradition of crafting fine champagnes. They boast seven foudres and approximately twenty barrels, all at our disposal for the meticulous aging of their reserve wines. This process ensures that our wines mature in the unmistakable Tribaut style, a tradition that has been faithfully passed down through four generations of their family. Their vineyards are primarily situated in the picturesque villages of Romery, Cormoyeux, and Fleury la Rivière, nestled along the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims. Perched on south/southeast-facing hillsides with clay-limestone soils, their vineyards are home to exquisite Pinot Meunier and remarkably surprising Chardonnay grapes. Additionally, they proudly maintain vineyards in the renowned village of Aÿ, classified as Grand Cru and celebrated for its exceptional Pinot Noir.
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.’