Winemaker Notes
This Cuvée has a light golden color with subtle green glints and the bubbles are fine and light. The nose provides a bouquet of aromas, which have developed over the course of 5 years in our cellars. It has the discrete scent of white flowers, a hint of litchis and dried fruit typical of the best Chardonnays. In the mouth, the wine shows a good maturity, expressed in hints of roast hazelnut and Danish pastries with a pronounced mineral finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
There is a more rounded approach with the NV Champagne Cuvée Saint Denis Brut, with lemon curd, pastry cream, and baked green apples. This continues to the palate, with a rounded sweetness of apple pie, yellow flowers, and a broadness and expansiveness on the palate. This might be my favorite in the range, as it is balanced in its opulence and has a lot of decadent charm. Drink now or over the next 10-15 years. Rating : 93+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The October 2019 disgorgement of Varnier-Fannière's NV Brut Grand Cru Cuvée Saint-Denis continues to show very nicely, revealing aromas of ripe citrus fruit, yellow apple, fresh apricot, wheat toast and marzipan, followed by a full-bodied, broad and powerful palate that's elegantly fleshy and nicely concentrated. It's an expressive, textural Champagne that exemplifies the house style.
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Vinous
The NV Brut Cuvée Saint Denis is another stellar wine in this range. Fresh citrus, crystallized ginger, white pepper, mint and crushed rocks all race across the palate. All the elements are so well-balanced and dynamic. The steely, mineral- drenched finish is a thing of beauty. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 12, 2023.
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Wine Spectator
This sleek Champagne is finely-balanced, with a spine of vivid acidity wrapped in the creamy, lightly mouthcoating texture and white cherry and nectarine fruit, chopped almond, fleur de sel and blood orange sorbet flavors.
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.’