Champagne Brut Nature
Les Varnets 2019

The Champagne Les Varnets is a heartfelt tribute to Bouzy, the Grand Cru village of the Montagne de Reims where Pinot Noir reaches one of its most intense and recognisable expressions. This cuvée belongs to the Les Jardins d’André Clouet range, a collection of single-parcel Champagnes that treats each family vineyard as a garden with its own character and history. The range shows how soil, exposure and microclimate give rise to profoundly different wines within the same cru. This lieu-dit lies mid-slope on the southern side of the village, on chalky soils, and gives a Blanc de Noirs that combines power and finesse in an authentic, unadorned reading of its terroir.

This edition, Vintage 2019, reflects a warm and sunny year that yielded healthy, highly concentrated Pinot Noir grapes, harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Vinification and fermentation take place entirely in used barriques, where the wine matures on its own lees and gains breadth and complexity without the oak masking its profile. After tirage, the wine ages on its own lees for a minimum of 6 years, after which it is released with no final dosage, in Brut Nature style, so the fruit and minerality of the parcel can speak freely.

On tasting, Les Varnets 2019 shows a fine perlage and a nose of red and black cherries, juicy red apple and delicate chalky nuances that point to concentrated fruit. On the palate it reveals a full and harmonious texture, supported by a firm structure and a crystalline, chalk-driven minerality that precisely balances the power of Bouzy Pinot Noir. The absence of dosage heightens tension and purity, leading to a long, elegant and persistent finish, with ageing potential that promises further depth over the years. Production in a limited run of 1,677 bottles.