Champagne J L Vergnon Eloquence Extra Brut Grand Cru NV 1500ml
Proudly imported and distributed in NZ by The Village Winery:
Champagne Jean-Louis Vergnon is a 'Membre de l'Association des Artisans du Champagne' & served at many excellent, & Michelin starred restaurants.
Core vineyards are in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay
Also prime holdings in Avize, Oger, Vertus and Villeneuve
Old vines - average is 40 years
Harvests ripe grapes, eliminates the need to chaptalise
Uses lower dosage
Intense and tensile wines
Try serving at 12C in a wide glass
Patience in further post release cellaring (3 yrs +) will reward greatly
Grower Champagne despite the 'NM' designation due to the buying in of GC Pinot Noir for the Rosemotion.
Winemaker Notes: ELOQUENCE Extra Brut Grand Cru NV
Blend: Base from one vintage with 20 % of reserve wine added.
Growths: 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from Mesnil/Oger, Oger, Avize
Wine making: Stainless steel tanks and 3g/l dosage, just 15,000 bottles made.ξ
Ageing: More than 3 years in our cellars.
"The golden green colour is relevant of a light evolution of the wine. The fizz is fine and regular and draws a light ring of bubbles on the surface. The general appearance is fresh and calm.
The first nose is expressive and fresh. Aromas are a mix of grapefruit, wheat, biscuits with hints of honey that confirms the start of the wine ageing process. Then, the smell goes deeper towards cooked pear, and almond paste. After few minutes in the flute, very racy aromas of grilled almonds, mushrooms and minerality (chalk) confirm the fineness and delicacy of this wine.
The mouth attack is sharp and opens on a wonderful acidity that stretches the wine up to the finale. The texture is unctuous despite the low addition of sugar, because the mouth has a personality. The result is stretched with the right touch of fatness. Just before the ending, a light sensation of warmth gives the signature of the base year.
The finale is long and reveals aromas of almonds, rice paste and chalk with impression of saltiness at the very end.
This is a racy wine with stamina. Unpretentious, it expresses the quality of its growth and is beautifully pure.
Excellent for the aperitif, easily pleased with shaped parmesan."
"Christophe Constant has brought this classy Mesnil producer back on to the scene after a few years of uninteresting efforts. No malolactic fermentation for the vintage wine, which comes from forty-year-old vines. Confidence is a very pure and young wine strongly influenced by minerals and with an intense village character. There is no element of flirtatiousness in it. Instead one can calmly lean back and await the effects of storage in the far distant future. (House) Upgraded to 4 stars." - Richard Juhlin, Champagne Guide
"Christophe Constant has put a highly personal stamp on this domaine, creating wines of intense expression and vivid personality. His champagnes are always racy and tense, characterized by their prominent malic acidities, yet they're rarely aggressive, achieving a carefully judged and finely tuned harmony. This is one of the top estates in the Cote des Blancs today." - Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net
"The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Eloquence Grand Cru is stellar. Ample and beautifully resonant, the Eloquence is just loaded with character. Orchard fruit, dried flowers and chamomile all open up in the glass, but it is the wine's textural feel and balance that I find most captivating. The Extra Brut Eloquence is the same wine as the Brut Conversation, but with no dosage. Usually, lowering dosage yields wines of greater tension, but here, the effect is the exact opposite, as the non-dosé version has quite a bit more body. This release is based on 2014, with 20% reserve wines, mostly Mesnil, with 10% Oger and Avize. Disgorged November 23, 2017.." 94/100
- Antonio Galloni vinous.com
Author - Antonio Galloni, Drinking Window 2019 - 2027, Reviewed Dec 2019
