Winemaker Notes
Influence is the flagship cuvee of the domaine. The varietal blend is 30% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay. The final blend contains 15% of reserve wines. As is the case with all of their wines, it is aged in oak and the wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation. 30% of the barrels are less than 4 years with the rest being over 5 years old. The wine is aged for 7 years in bottle on its lees. Dosage is 5g/L.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blending three lieux-dits and three grape varieties—Les Couturelles (Pinot Meunier), Les Fosselles (Pinot Noir) and Les Fontenelles (Chardonnay)—Minière’s latest NV Brut Influence is based on the 2020 vintage with 22% reserve wines from 2019. Disgorged with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter in September 2024, this wine offers a vibrant bouquet of sweet citrus fruits, apricot, yellow apple and a hint of coconut. Full-bodied and more powerful than both Brut Zéro and Blanc Absolu, it features a layered mid-palate, a generous core of fruit and tangy acidity, concluding with a long, mineral finish. Rating: 92+
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Wine Spectator
Toasty brioche, grilled nut and warm spice hints are brightened by vibrant acidity and aromas and flavors of white cherry, lime peel, stargazer lily and blood orange sorbet. There’s a buoyant feel to this well- meshed Champagne, with a finely detailed, creamy mousse. Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A copper straw hue, the NV Champagne Cuvée Influence Brut is 74% from 2018 and the rest from 2017, and it’s made from 33% Pinot Noir, 46% Meunier, and the rest Chardonnay. A very nice bouquet opens to aromas of toasted almond croissant, raspberry coulis, and tangerine. Round and full-bodied, it is juicy and inviting on the palate, with a wonderful ease that’s refreshing, and it has a clean and snappy finish. This is a charming wine to enjoy over the next 5-6 years.
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.’