Roger Coulon Millesime Blanc de Noirs 2013

Disgorged in October 2021 with three grams per liter dosage, Coulon's 2013 Blanc de Noirs Millésime is a blend of ungrafted Pinot Meunier and old-vine Pinot Noir growing in sandy soils (which explains why the Meunier has been spared by phylloxera). Wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp golden orchard fruit, mirabelle plum, clear honey, freshly baked bread and buttery pasty, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, with superb intensity without weight, racy acids and an attractive pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, intensely saline finish, this is a brilliant effort for this singularly underrated producer!

Coming from two plots, one planted to Pinot Noir in Vrigny on clay soils (50% of the blend) and the other from ungrafted vines of Meunier planted after World War II, the 2013 Champagne Millésime is fresh and lifted with aromas of strawberry compote, fresh bread dough, and fresh roses. The palate is pure, long, and focused, its compact structure balancing the ripeness of the domaine with energetic acidity and the supple texture of its mousse. There’s a wonderful energy to this wine, and it’s going to have a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2044. 3 grams per liter dosage.