Vincent Cuillier, [2018] Blanc de Sable, Brut Nature


Producer


Region

FranceChampagneMontagne de Reims

Appellation

Champagne, Brut Nature

Cuvée

Blanc de Sable

Varietal

Chardonnay

Farming

Low/No Sulfur Vinification, No/Low till, regenerative viticulture

Vinification

Aged in bottle before release, Barrel Aged, Estate grown grapes, Hand harvested, Indigenous yeast fermented, Low Sulfur Vinification & Aging, Non-certified organically grown grapes, Unfined & Unfiltered, Zero Dosage

Soil Type

Chalky Limestone, Sandy loam

Note

Limited

A third cuvee, Blanc de Sable, was added as of the 2018 vintage. It is 100% Chardonnay also from Mont Agé on sandy soils with fossils, and is aged in a combination of 228 and 500-liter barrels and bottled without fining and filtration. It sees 36 months of aging sur lattes before disgorgement without sugar/dosage.
The terroirs of Mont Agé and Les Voyets are somewhat atypical for the region in that they contain a uniquely high percentage of sand which produces Champagnes marked by real finesse. As Cuillier points out, there is about 1 meter of sand over a bedrock of compacted rock and sand strewn with fossils, the combination of which gives fruitiness coupled with freshness and minerality. All in all, it is a perfect terroir for producing his style of Champagnes which are wonderfully textured, nuanced, and complex and develop beautifully in the glass with some aeration.