Champagne Yves Louvet “L’Arum d’Henriette” Premier Cru Extra Brut NV.
100% Pinot Blanc.
Did you know that Pinot Blanc is one of the ancient white grape varieties of Champagne though it now accounts for just 0.2% of the region’s total vineyard area? Pinot Blanc gives Champagnes of buxom aromatic expression and palate structure, especially when it is grown on Premier Cru sites like this one is. The “Arum d’Henriette” (named after Frédéric’s grandmother Henriette) is the flagship wine of the estate and a bold statement of Frédéric’s determination to make wines of ultra-high quality that taste clearly different to the “Big Brand” Champagnes and that draw on the ancient viticultural heritage of the Champagne region.
There’s a mystical elusiveness to the nose of this which shimmers between rich lemon tart fruit and a very delicate floral perfume that is more mineral than fruity, with hints of jasmine, lily, and talcum, while the palate is Extra Brut, which means very dry (zero to six grams per litre of residual sugar is the limit), and yet there is a roundness to the body of this Champagne that speaks of an older and forgotten era when a wider variety of styles of sparkling wine were made from a wider range of grape varieties – including Pinot Blanc.
Drink now to 2030+
