New cuvée of 100% meunier from Dizy, Pierry, Moussy, Chavot, Cumières and Hautvillers; vinified on chardonnay lees; aged 9 years on lees; 5000 bottles
A one-off release of a new cuvée. ‘One shot! For fun!’ declares de Varine. ‘And to share! Sharing is very important for me. Meunier is a good friend of ours and we wanted to show that meunier can age if it comes from great terroirs.’ Sourced from almost all of the villages surrounding Épernay – ‘meunier terroirs’. Having worked extensively with lees in Burgundy, de Varine fermented meunier on chardonnay lees to add minerality.
The soft and rounded personality of meunier is on grand display here, snapped into sharp focus by the poise of malic acidity. This is a cuvée that cleverly and confidently achieves the precarious balance of upholding the personality of meunier with the complexity of considerable age, achieving this with the inimitable tension and precision of the house. With a full straw hue, the spicy dark berries, dark fruit cake and fruit mince spice of meunier meet the roast nuts and buttered toast of a decade of age.