Champagne Brut Nature
Petit Meslier

The Champagne Petit Meslier by Olivier Horiot is a rare and precious tribute to one of the most forgotten and fragile grape varieties of Champagne, a Cépage Oublié that today accounts for less than 0.1% of the region's vine surface. Born in Les Riceys, in the southernmost reaches of the Côte des Bar, it tells the vocation of a vigneron who has chosen to safeguard and revitalise all seven varieties authorised by the appellation, returning to this single-variety cuvée the sharpest and most original identity of a Kimmeridgian clay-limestone terroir, in dialogue with biodynamics and with an idea of Champagne reduced to the essential.

This edition, 2018 harvest, expresses 100% Petit Meslier grapes from a single parcel (lieu-dit) of Les Riceys, farmed according to biodynamic principles. Vinification and fermentation are carried out in a single oak cask, with slow and natural fermentations, very few sulphites and without fining or filtration. After tirage, the wine undergoes maturation on the lees for at least 48 months, which shapes its texture and refines its taste profile, returning a wine of rare tension and definition. Without final dosage, in Brut Nature style, the cuvée offers itself in its most transparent form.

On the palate, the wine displays a bright yellow hue with luminous reflections crossed by a fine and persistent perlage, leading into a vibrant nose that weaves sharp citrus, lime zest, green grapefruit and fresh herbaceous notes, completed by a mineral nuance and an iodised whisper. The entry is taut and sharp, with a nervy texture supported by a cutting acidity and a salinity that sculpts every sip, returning the unmistakable mark of the grape variety. The balance plays on the contrast between citrus drive and mineral depth, while the finish closes long, precise and rhythmic, leaving an aftertaste of rare originality. Production in a limited run of around 660 bottles.