Pascal DoquetBlanc-Coteaux, Côte des Blancs
Producer profile
PL 12 hectares organically farmed by the third-generation winemaker Pascal Doquet himself with permanent cover crops encouraging biodiversity. Seek out single-terroir vintage cuvees: Le-Mesnil-Sur-Oger - "the grandest, infused by a complex minerality" made from vines up to 90 years old; Vertus - "rounder and larger in body" from the midslope parcels; and Le Mont Aimé - "the most delicate of the three, marked by a distinctive flintiness", "sleek and racy". Doquet also "bottles a pure Vitriyat blanc de blancs called Horizon, named after the view from his estate in Vertus when looking at these vines. In his hands, this terroir creates a forward and fruity champagne, showing an earthier, stonier minerality than the crisp chalkiness of his wines from Côte des Blancs". TyS 6/10 "tiny estate" producing "wines of effortless form and beguiling beauty". Average age of his wines are 37 years, "very high for Champagne". Uses oak and enameled steel for fermentation. "Massive stock" permit long ageing of 4-5 years. Low dosages, using grape must instead of sugar. ToS 87 "wines are textbook examples of Côte des Blancs terroir". Vintage Le Mont Aimé is "most intruiguing" because of the "rare silex and sand content" of the hillside parcel just south of Vertus. Silex, or flint, contributes a distinctively smoky, stony minerality.
PL 12 hectares organically farmed by the third-generation winemaker Pascal Doquet himself with permanent cover crops encouraging biodiversity. Seek out single-terroir vintage cuvees: Le-Mesnil-Sur-Oger - "the grandest, infused by a complex minerality" made from vines up to 90 years old; Vertus - "rounder and larger in body" from the midslope parcels; and Le Mont Aimé - "the most delicate of the three, marked by a distinctive flintiness", "sleek and racy". Doquet also "bottles a pure Vitriyat blanc de blancs called Horizon, named after the view from his estate in Vertus when looking at these vines. In his hands, this terroir creates a forward and fruity champagne, showing an earthier, stonier minerality than the crisp chalkiness of his wines from Côte des Blancs". TyS 6/10 "tiny estate" producing "wines of effortless form and beguiling beauty". Average age of his wines are 37 years, "very high for Champagne". Uses oak and enameled steel for fermentation. "Massive stock" permit long ageing of 4-5 years. Low dosages, using grape must instead of sugar. ToS 87 "wines are textbook examples of Côte des Blancs terroir". Vintage Le Mont Aimé is "most intruiguing" because of the "rare silex and sand content" of the hillside parcel just south of Vertus. Silex, or flint, contributes a distinctively smoky, stony minerality.
Tasting notes
Arpège Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2009. 50% reserve wine and 50% 2009 chardonnay. Bottled in April 2012 and disgorged in January 2015. Dosage 5g. A most detailed back label! Very easy cork, no pop, medium expansion. Pretty plaque de muselet with geometric pattern repeated on the equally pretty front label with gold leaf details and textured paper. Bubbles rising in vigorous bursts. Normal level of carbonation. Pear yellow. There is an unfortunate distracting nuance in the nose: a hint of soap or perhaps of ozone. It persists the following day. Faint associations with lychee and rambutan. Balanced profile with good acidity. A very tasty wine. Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $50. ⭐
All photos and tasting notes are by @gaiwanstyle
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)