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Grower Champagne direct from the Vigneron
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November 2019 Pre-arrival offer
 
Hello <<First Name>>. Welcome to a new direction in discovering domain bottled grower Champagnes direct from the vigneron. It has been many months since my last Champagne offer. An ever-worsening exchange rate and price increases have made the niche grower Champagne business a rather tricky and volatile business model. Also, there have been issues regarding shipping delays and also the loss of a pallet of Champagne Glavier in France that has hampered the business. So arriving in the middle of December I have some good value Heucq and Voirin-Jumel Champagnes. The Glavier Champagne offer will come out early January along with some bin ends.
 
Champagne André Heucq - Cuisles

Arriving in December we will have our second shipment of inspirational Champagnes from a 'meunier specialist' grower who I have known for a number of years. I have always liked the wines, but now with their certified conversion to biodynamic viticulture and restructuring of their cuvées to focus on terroir and low dosages, the range has jumped to a new level of quality. They have been using biodynamic techniques for a number of years and now have decided to fully ratify their passion by formal certification. Subtle oak, partial malolactic with long time on lees, single parcel viticulture, all lift the range into the super class. André Heucq in Cuisles specialises in mineral meunier from their unique green clay Illite soils which gives acidity and minerality to produce complex age worthy meunier with elegance, vivacity, energy and tension.

Cuisles is a tiny village of only 150 people and 33 hectares of vineyards mainly meunier.  It is a tricky village to find, tucked away from the Marne Valley, with east to south-east facing vineyards and much lower rainfall than Marne Valley vineyards. The soils are interesting. The first layer is sandy soils, second layer is green clay Illite and third layer is chalky clay. The Illite clay retains water better than the chalky-clay and is rich in nutrients. If you were to cut a cross section through the vineyard you’d find that most of the roots of the vines are concentrated in this layer of green clay. That’s why this kind of soil needs less water.The neighbouring villages of Jonquery and Olizy have similar soils and aspect.


The Heucq family consists of André and Patricia with their children, Alex and Fanny. Fanny is the brains behind one of the most iconic Paris Champagne Boutiques - Dilettantes in the 6th arrondisement. Selling and promoting the best big houses and growers - like Eric Rodez, Vazart Coquart and many others.

It was a pleasure to visit the Heucq family during the 2018 harvest and understand more about their passion and dedication. They are one of the very few vignerons who house, feed and transport all their pickers. Their new cuverie in Cuisles has been purposely designed to look after all the pickers during harvest. They are all trained to diagnose and discard any inferior bunches and only pick the best. A slow process, but quality is guaranteed, and the Heucq family is serious about grape quality. And they are cousins of the other good vignerons in Cuisles, the Moussé family. A number of the Champagnes are on lists or being poured at some notable restaurants in Melbourne, Amaru and Attica.

 

Champagne André Heucq Héritage Blanc de Meunier Extra Brut  Pre-arrival $54.00
100% Meunier from Cuisles, Chatillon sur Marne, Serzy and Mareuil le Port. Soils are Illite clay. Based on  2015 with 2014 reserve wines. Classic fermentation in stainless steel. This was the initial wine that convinced me to re-discover the Heucq range. Pure and long, hints of mineral and hay, lovely balance. Dosage is Extra Brut at 4gm.

 
Champagne André Heucq Héritage Assemblage  Extra Brut Pre-arrival $58.00
40% Chardonnay, 30% meunier and 30% pinot, based on 45% 2014 with 55% 2013. From Cuisles and Baslieux sous Chatillon. Dosage is Extra Brut at 4gm.  70% stainless steel and 30% oak with partial malo-lactic fermentation. A beautifully crafted blended wine.  Pepper and herb overtones with candied fruit and minerals. Low dosage in perfect balance leaves the palate fresh and crisp. 

Champagne André Heucq Héritage Millésime 2012  EX Stock  $78.00 ONLY AVAILABLE IN PACK
50% Chardonnay, 20% meunier and 30% pinot. Dosage is Extra Brut. From two limestone and Illite clay vineyard parcels in Cuisles.  50% stainless steel and 50% oak with partial malo-lactic fermentation. Aromas of dried flowers and cashews,carrying on to a creamy long palate with minerals and toast overtones. A beautiful example of Cuisles terroir from a great vintage. We still have a few bottles of this 2012 from last years shipment. Tyson Stelzer gives this a glowing review and 93/100 points.
 
Champagne André Heucq Héritage Rosé de Meunier - Phase 1   EX STOCK $65.00 ONLY AVAILABLE IN PACK
100% 2014 meunier from a single vineyard parcel in Cuisles - le Bout de la Ville. Dosage is Extra Brut. This is a 24 hours maceration saignée. No malolactic fermentation. A perfumed vinous style with huge minerality and savory overtones. This also was one of the spectacular cuvées which encouraged me to revisit the Heucq range of Champagnes. There are no reserve wines in the blend, so this is vintage 2014. Tyson Stelzer raves about this and awards it 92/100.

Champagne André Heucq Discovery pack Pre-arrival $367.00 - only 6 packs available
Two bottles of Heritage Blanc de Meunier, two bottles Heritage Assemblage, 1 bottle Heritage Millesime 2012, 1 bottle Heritage Rose Phase 1.

Ralph Kyte-Powell in Realreview gave the Heucq Blanc de Meunier an outstanding 94/100 score.


 
An "H" written with a brush highlights the manual and artisanal work on our farm.
By evoking a "4", we refer to the four elements (earth, fire, water and air).
"Nature" and "Terroir" frame a moon and affirm what animates us on a daily basis: to be closer
to our terroir while respecting nature.
The moon marks our attention to the lunar calendar for our work in the vineyard as in the winery.




Champagne Voirin-Jumel - Cramant
 
A new shipment of our good value Blanc de Blancs is arriving. And prices are still very reasonable. I have known the Voirin-Jumel family now for 15 years and they have never exploited the brand market. They make Champagne to drink, not to invest. The quality is slowly improving and is due to rocket up, now that the daughters Julie and Pauline are taking the helm. The girls know the Champagne scene and hang out with the Selosses and all the other young vignerons in the Cote des Blancs. There has been a slight price increase this year. The first in 5 years for us. The 2012 is a stunning blanc de blancs - and we have some magnums coming next year when they get disgorged.

Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru.      Pre-arrival: $52.50
Based on 2016 with 20% reserve wines, from Cramant, Chouilly, Avize and Oger. Dosage 6g/litre. The Chardonnay terroir speaks, Chiseled and steely, with citrus and minerals, hints of white fruits and floral. Very precise and elegant as always and excellent value. The creaminess of the Cramant component sets the tone for a fine and elegant Champagne.  Again this cuvee has been very popular – a new shipment. Popular with some niche restaurants in Melbourne and Geelong.

Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Noirs 1er Cru.    EX Stock $45.00
Based on the 2016 vintage with 20% reserve wines, dosage at 6gm/litre is perfect. From a single 1.48 hectare Pinot Noir vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Ay – Les Carelles. Mareuil-sur-Ay is Billecart Salmon territory, and here the Pinot is always delicate and subtle, hints of strawberry and red fruits, perfume and spice. The novice Champagne drinker may recoil at the notion of drinking a 100% Pinot Noir Champagne, but this wine reveals the purity and elegance of the terroir and competent wine making. A bargain basement wine from a great base vintage, extremely popular and very well received. In the scheme of things, this wine is way under priced. It simply delivers! 

Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2012.      Pre-arrival: $68   
The 2012 vintage is a real success for the top growers in the Cote des Blancs - and Patrick Voirin has really delivered a precise mineral champagne. I see some similarities with 2008 at this property. Hugely mineral with real purity and amazing elegance. Dosage is 4g/litre and the malolactic fermentation is blocked. Six years on lees has added some savory toasty complexity. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tank. The low yields of 2012 add intensity and minerality.  Only a small allocation at pre-arrival pricing. LIMITED
 
Champagne Voirin-Jumel Saignee Rose.      Pre-arrival: $52  
A lovely perfumed 100% pinot noir saignee rose at a very reasonable price. Based on 2016 with reserve wines. Dosage 8gm. The rosé from Voirin-Jumel used to be blended style and I always found it a little simple and coarse, but now it has been elevated into a 100% saignée and completely changed my opinion. A stunning pink at a bargain price.  LIMITED

Champagne André Heucq Héritage Blanc de Meunier   Pre-arrival $54.00  
Champagne André Heucq Héritage Assemblage   Pre-arrival $58.00
Champagne André Heucq Discovery six pack Pre-arrival $367.00 (only 6 packs available)
Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru   Pre-arrival $52.50
Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Blancs Millesime 2012  Grand Cru Pre-arrival $68.00

Champagne Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Noirs 1er Cru   STOCK  $45.00
Champagne Voirin-Jumel Saignee Rose 
  Pre-arrival $52.00

BIN ENDS

Champagne F&R Miniere Brut Zero
$70.00  
Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz N $67.00
Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz M $75.00
 
This Pre-arrival offer closes December 5th.  Stock due to arrive mid December. Orders in 6 bottle multiples.
 

regards
Victor Pugatschew
Champagne de Vigneron
www.champagne-de-vigneron.com
email: victor@champagne-de-vigneron.com
Copyright © 2019 Champagne de Vigneron, All rights reserved.


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