2020 Marie-Courtin, Resonance, Pinot Noir, Extra Brut, Blanc de Noirs Champagne, France.
The gorgeous Marie-Courtin Extra Brut “Resonance” is a 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs from intense chalky soils in the Aube region and a riper terroir that was fermented and lees aged in stainless steel, as well as having no dosage, which gives this beautiful grower Champagne a fresh Extra Brut vitality and a structured mouth feel along with a crisp restrained nature, making it wonderfully pure and deliciously entertaining. I first reviewed the Resonance with the 2014 vintage, and while similar in finesse and style, this recent disgorgement is more elevated and complex, showing off lemony citrus, white cherry red apple skin, white nectarine and quince fruits, as well as leesy/yeasty richness on the luxurious palate, with hazelnut, bread dough, saline, light herbs, delicate florals, wet stone and a faint hint of reduction. Grower Champagne is a very exciting niche market and it seems to be getting better and better with some outstanding hand crafted single site wines, like these Marie-Courtin offerings, which are becoming pretty sought after, but still incredibly reasonable in price for the quality in the glass, as this one displays with panache.
The wonderfully talented Dominique Moreau, winemaker/cellar master at Champagne Marie Courtin, is crafting some serious all biodynamic/organic grower fizz from a single vineyard in the Côte des Bar zone of the southern most part of the region, not too far away Chablis, set on the same Jurassic era Kimmeridgian (limestone) soils. Marie-Courtin is farming a unique massale selection of old vine grapes, including these in an old vine Pinot Noir parcel that were planted in the 1970s. This warmer area allows for ripe fruit, making it possible to use a light or non dosage here, and add to the textural pleasures of these sparkling wines made by Moreau. While, as mentioned, the domaine is rather new to most Champagne lovers, with the first release coming in 2005, this tiny estate is already highly regarded and coveted, with their offerings joining the likes of Mousse, Cedric Bouchard and Jerome Prevost, to name drop a few, as a rising star(s) in the “Grower Fizz” category. Specializing in an extremely dry racy style of mineral and terroir driven bubbly, which I particularly enjoy, and that are just glorious with food, as well as appetizers such as briny oysters, caviar and or creamy cheeses, like Epoisses!
($60-79 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive