Louise Brison Champagne Extra Brut 2015
Background
Established only 30 years ago, the Brison house is one of the youngest in all of Champagne. Dauphine Brulez oversees all the operations (the house is named after her Great-Grandmother), and she represents a new modern-style winemaker in Champagne, focused on sustainability, quality, and the international market. Not a lot of this particular Champagne makes it into the country, so we were happy to be able to snatch it up!
The house’s production facilities and most of their vineyards are in the Côte des Bar (sometimes called The Aube), an area at the extreme southern limits of the entire Champagne region. All of Brison’s Pinot Noir is sourced from here, in fact, the Côte des Bar ONLY grows Pinot. Brison has vineyards closer to the heart of the region from which they source their Chardonnay. Dauphine and her team operate as growers AND winemakers, which isn’t as common in Champagne as you’d think. Most large houses source fruit from different growers all over the region, so they have a little less control over grape quality. Brison’s vineyards and production have been certified organic and their practice of sustainable agriculture is good karma, but also shows they have their finger on the pulse of what the international wine world wants right now
Everything in the vineyard is harvested by hand, and then pressed and fermented in large, old oak barrels. Nothing sees any stainless steel. It’s an old-school approach, but we think it’s a fun choice. All of their wines show a little more nuttiness and oxidation. The neutral wood probably has something to do with that. Those same flavours also tend to show up in vintage Champagnes that have a little age to them (as this one does). Dauphine ONLY produces vintage Champagnes, choosing to focus on the best years and exprepressing the terroir of that particular vintage instead of blending year to year like many other houses do.
Tasting Notes
So why do we think vintage Champagne is fun? Well first, it’s much more savoury and aromatic than NV (non-vintage) Champers. But it also gives the drinker a chance to learn why. The 2015 growing season was long and hot and dry. There were crazy heatwaves during the summer, and because of this, harvest happened a little earlier than usual. It’s said that the wines of 2015 have a distinct ripe fruit character to them. This wine definitely shows a ton of fruit. The acidity is a bright blast of lemon juice and the extra age on it gives the wine a rich, lip-smacking mouth feel. Vintage Champagne is a rare treat. We hope you love it!
Food Pairing
For a Champagne as fruity and oxidized as this, the best pairings should work to highlight those dried fruit and nutty flavours in the wine. Try to grab something nutty and roasted (like roasted nuts!), or the best kettle chips you can find. We joke about it, but fried chicken and great Champagne might just be one of the best pairings out there.
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