NV Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne Brut

Pouring a straw yellow hue, the NV Champagne Sainte Anne Extra Brut is sourced from the family's vines in Merfy as well as in the Côte de Blancs in Avize and is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and the rest Meunier, raised in barrels for nine months before bottling. It’s a non-vintage wine, but it’s entirely from the 2022 vintage. It offers a good deal of depth for an entry range wine, revealing savory notes of crushed stones, chamomile, orchard fruit, and musky floral perfume. It fills the palate with a creamy mousse that lifts it cleanly, and it has a delicate, silky texture and a haunting finish with notes of raw almond. It's going to be prime for enjoying now or over the coming 5-6 years. Speaking with Alexandre Chartogne at his estate in Merfy, it quickly becomes apparent that his approach to wine is less about wine descriptors and flavor profiles and more philosophical. He believes that it is essential to understand that every place and every corner of Champagne are different, from the soil and subsoil to the culture and people, which differ from village to village and region to region. According to Alexandre, “The winemaker is not responsible; a great terroir will make great wine.”

Lemon zest, white pepper, chalk and lemon curd. Blood-orange flavor with zesty acidity, medium body, a tight mid-palate and slightly astringent finish, but overall balanced. 60% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 5% pinot meunier. Disgorged in 2024. Dosage 2.5g/L. Drink or hold.

50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier on vineyards with a high percentage of sandstone. Base 2021. Dosage 4 g/l. Disgorged August 2023. Lemon zest and gorgeous folds of lime and lemon, pomelo and bergamot. Even though it's very citrusy, it delivers (vertical) comfort rather than (horizontal) speed. Good rounded concentration and vivacity. (TC)