2020 Emmanuel Brochet Le Mont Benoit

Brochet's increasingly sought-after organic cuvée from a 2.5ha north-facing chalk parcel near Reims is a Champagne enticingly held between power and restraint in 2020 (80% of the blend), saturated with black plum, ground pepper and browned pastry richness yet exhilaratingly bracing, too, buzzing with stony purity and length. The oak fermentation is beautifully transparent and supportive in its spiciness, the vinosity and intensity of the fruit never heavy. A gastronomic Champagne of serious quality.