ANDRÉ CLOUET CHALKY CHAMPAGNE BRUT NV

‘Chalky’ draws reference to the very soils which made Champagne famous. The Chardonnays that make up this cuvée grow one-third on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims and two-thirds on the Côte de Blancs.

Chalky is a particularly noteworthy addition to the Clouet lineup in that it’s a deviation from their cornerstone varietal, Pinot Noir. The other cuvées Clouet produces are all Blanc de Noirs from their vines in Bouzy, where Pinot Noir thrives. Jean-François – the winemaker and descendant of the domaine’s namesake, André Clouet – is never one to shy away from a challenge. Known for his uncanny knack at extracting balance, flavour, texture and character from this varietal – he’s also a big, charismatic and inherently curious personality. So while the pivot away from Blanc de Noirs may be intriguing, for anyone that knows about Jean-François Clouet, it’s really no surprise at all and perhaps even less surprising, is the fact he’s nailed it.

The Chalky Blanc de Blancs was aged for an astonishing 72 months on lees – or six years. The base wines of this initial NV release come from the “late-ripening, almost brutally brilliant year” (Lobenburg) 2013. Disgorgement was in 2021, with a dosage of 6g. The resulting wine is creamy, mineral and – you guessed it – chalky.

A bright golden colour. Powerful nose of lightly candied fruit and spice. Notes from the aromas accelerate on the palate with added notes of ginger bread with sweet citrus. Expect a lively, salty, mineral inflected wine.