Champagne Extra Brut
Le Montgruguet 2022

The Champagne Le Montgruguet by Fabrice Pouillon is a Blanc de Noirs born from a single plot, an islet of outcropping chalk on the banks of the Marne canal, in the Premier Cru territory of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Here Pinot Noir sinks its roots into a soil where a thin layer of clay rests directly on pure chalk, an extreme condition that gives the wine salinity, tension and a rare finesse. It is the same slope that hosts celebrated plots of Champagne, a vocated lieu-dit where the variety finds an elegant and powerful expression, able to translate with clarity the chalky soul of its terroir of origin.

This edition, Vintage 2022, undergoes vinification and maturation in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, following a natural approach that brings this Champagne closer to great terroir wines. After bottling comes an ageing on the lees for a minimum of 36 months that builds depth and complexity, while the final dosage of 3 g/l, in an Extra Brut style, enhances its purity and precision without weighing down the wine's profile, letting the minerality of the chalk emerge.

On tasting, Le Montgruguet 2022 reveals a bright and generous profile, reflecting a sunny vintage that gave the Pinot Noir ripeness and fullness without sacrificing the chalky vein of its terroir. On the palate the texture is broad and creamy, with a fine perlage carrying notes of cherry, wild strawberry and orange zest, enriched by hints of pastry and a delicate toasty touch that speaks of its time in oak. The structure, solid and well proportioned, finds balance in a savoury freshness and a saline minerality that lengthens the progression, leading to a deep and harmonious persistence that closes with a remarkably clean citrus return.