Winemaker Notes
Pascal's grandfather consolidated to one hectare in which Pascal still owns 60 acres of, including “Les Migraines” where he has very old vines, planted in 1929. Approximately half is fermented in enamel and the rest in neutral barrel. It’s as impressive a non-vintage Champagne as is available anywhere. There are aromas of ginger, anise, zest and sandalwood, and the Champagne emphasizes the spicy characteristics of Le Mesnil. The wine finishes with some cut which helps focus the finish.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
A superb non-vintage blanc de blancs that comes exclusively from the grand cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The wine opens with zippy lemon peel, gooseberry and exotic passion fruit aromas. With time, a lovely mineral/saline depth is revealed, with a creamy texture, pleasantly dense mouthfeel and impressive length. Grapes from the ripe 2015 vintage form the base, with the balance completed with a reserve from solera. The oldest vines date to the 1920s; half was fermented in old barrels and half in tank before ageing for six years and disgorging with a dosage of 3.5g/L.
-
Wine Spectator
Aromatic hints of pastry dough and chopped salted almond are set on a firm frame in this minerally Champagne, which shows a chalky underpinning and mouthwatering flavors of Asian pear, grated ginger and nectarine. Disgorged March 2018. Drink now through 2025.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Informed by several plots scattered around Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Pascal Doquet’s latest NV Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Diapason is based on the perpetual blend from 2012 to 2016 and finished with 33% from the 2017 vintage. Which are bought new by Doquet and then reused, with the remaining 40% vinified in enameled steel, it’s open and charming, wafting from the glass with a bouquet of white flowers and pear, mingling with dried apricot and red plum. On the palate, it’s racy, with a pillowy mousse, excellent definition and a long, penetrating finish.
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.’