Vallée du Petit Morin, Champagne, France – 60% Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay
Vine Styles Exclusive
A pale lemon gold in the glass with a nose that smells like a walk past a bakery: buttered toast, warm brioche and ripe yellow fruit, lifted by a fresh touch of lemon balm and a hint of sweet spice. The palate is fresh but rounder than you'd expect from such a low dosage, mixing juicy fruit with biscuity, pastry notes. It finishes long, relaxed and beautifully salty.
This is a natural aperitif bubble, so pop it before dinner with salty snacks or gougères. It's also wonderful with bold washed rind cheeses like Munster or Maroilles. For a classic match, try it with sole meunière and a squeeze of lemon, or a buttery roast chicken.
The name tells the story of home. Saint Prix was the original village near the river, destroyed during the Wars of Religion and rebuilt on the slope, or "talus," where the family's vines grow today. This cuvée shares its blend with the house's Éclats de Meulière but rests an extra year in the cellar, spending three to four years on its lees in bottle. Grapes are hand picked, fermented with native yeasts mostly in steel with a quarter in old oak, and bottled without fining or filtration. Only about 6,000 bottles are made each year, and you'll only find it here at Vine Styles.