Champagne Extra Brut
La Colline Inspirée

The Champagne La Colline Inspirée by Jacques Lassaigne carries in its name the echo of Maurice Barrès' novel and preserves the same contemplative calling, that of a hill standing apart from the rest of Champagne and watching the plain from above. This is Montgueux, a solitary rise west of Troyes, where Turonian chalk emerges with rare purity and gives the wines a luminosity that is immediately recognisable and quite different from that of the Côte des Blancs. Emmanuel Lassaigne reads this terroir as frontier land, working the oldest vines of the Domaine without herbicides or fertilisers and letting the soil, the south-facing slopes between 150 and 250 metres and the spontaneous grass cover define the character of the wine.

This edition, born from the assemblage of several harvests layered one upon the other in a réserve perpétuelle logic, gathers grapes from the lieux-dits Haut Revers du Chutat and Grande Côte, where the vines are well beyond forty years of age and root directly into the chalk bedrock. Vinification and fermentation take place in small oak barrels with indigenous yeasts alone, without fining or filtration, so that the original matter is fully preserved. The contribution of the vin de réserve widens the depth of the assemblage and heightens its slightly oxidative profile. After bottling follows a maturation on the lees for a minimum of 36 months, before a dégorgement with no final dosage, in Extra Brut style, which leaves the structure entirely exposed.

On tasting, La Colline Inspirée shows a full gold hue crossed by a fine and persistent perlage. The aromatic range alternates candied citrus and ripe yellow fruit with notes of toasted hazelnut, pastry and honey, over an iodine and chalky base that constantly recalls the hill of origin. On the palate the attack is broad and enveloping, supported by a vivid acidity that traces a clean line throughout the development and by a marked salinity that balances the more oxidative component. The equilibrium lies precisely in the tension between the generosity of the wood and the mineral severity of the soil, with a solid structure and a creamy texture that never weigh down the drinking. The finish is extremely long, saline and vibrant, with a return of citrus and bread crust confirming the persistence of a wine built to last over time.