Alexandre Chartogne’s superb Cuvée Sainte Anne is as structured and terror-driven a Champagne as we’ve ever encountered, while remaining classic, accessible, and frankly hedonistic. Aromas of bartlett pear, baked lemon, and brioche are laced with an elusive woodsy note: perhaps birch, cedar, or even sandalwood. The palate delights with silky-sweet pastry butter and nectarine juice, subtly marked with punctuations of baking spice. The finish goes on and on and on, shimmering with crystalline minerality and glinting flashes of citrus peel. This bottle is eminently and immediately pleasurable, yet slows the pace by offering so much fine detail for contemplation.
Practicing organic. 50% chardonnay, 45% pinot noir and 5% pinot meunier. 35 year-old vines. Dosage: 2.75g/L. Non-vintage. Merfy, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France.
Alexandre Chartogne’s superb Cuvée Sainte Anne is as structured and terror-driven a Champagne as we’ve ever encountered, while remaining classic, accessible, and frankly hedonistic. Aromas of bartlett pear, baked lemon, and brioche are laced with an elusive woodsy note: perhaps birch, cedar, or even sandalwood. The palate delights with silky-sweet pastry butter and nectarine juice, subtly marked with punctuations of baking spice. The finish goes on and on and on, shimmering with crystalline minerality and glinting flashes of citrus peel. This bottle is eminently and immediately pleasurable, yet slows the pace by offering so much fine detail for contemplation.
Practicing organic. 50% chardonnay, 45% pinot noir and 5% pinot meunier. 35 year-old vines. Dosage: 2.75g/L. Non-vintage. Merfy, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France.
