NV Yann Alexandre Brut Noir, Champagne – buy online

WHO?

Yann Alexandre is the eighth generation of his family to grow vines in the Petite Montagne de Reims, the third to make Champagne there. He and his wife, Séverine, share a passion for horticulture that directly informs their viticulture. Their moto is to grow the vineyard like a garden..

WHERE?

In Courmas, 180-inhabitant village, 10 km (6 miles) southwest from Reims ,Yann has 14 parcels, predominantly planted to meunier. Courmas takes its place within the Montagne de Reims, a sweep of low plateau. It  belongs to the Petite Montagne, separated from the Grand Montagne by a main north-south road, the name a reference to the rather lower elevation of the vineyards here. The Alexandre vineyards span 6.3 hectares of parcels with varying soil compositions all carefully matched to their varieties: 55% meunier, 30% chardonnay, 15% pinot noir. The primarily southwest-facing hillside sites encompass yellow tuffe, white marl, calcareous clay, white stone (“pierreux”) with flint.

WHY?

This rosé is a composition of Chardonnay from the lieu-dit Les Blanches Terres in Coulommes-la-Montagne and Pinot Noir from the lieu-dit Saint Lié in the village Villedommange. 94% of the final blend is Chardonnay which is primarily fermented in stainless steel where it is allowed to go through full malolactic conversion, while 15% is vinified in oak without malolactic. The wine is aged approximately 4 months in stainless and blended with 60% reserve wine and combined with 6% Pinot Noir as red wine.