CHAMPAGNE : LA SELECTION

David Bourdaire is warm, talented, passionate about highlighting the specificity of Pinot Meunier (who deserves it), and pursues a real qualitative policy which is bearing fruit. We knew him in his early days, supported immediately knowing that his enthusiasm would convince the most reluctant.
“The farm is mainly made up of Pinot Meunier (85%) of 40 years of average age. We have the equivalent of 1/3 of our production in reserve wines, necessary for the production of a constant Champagne from year to year. Tenth generation of winemakers but only the third to produce Champagne wines. It’s Robert Massonnot, my grandfather, who produced his first Champagne himself in 1951 following the creation of the Pouillon cooperative with two other winegrowers from the town. My parents, who started their activity in 1973 on small surfaces (my father was employed elsewhere until 1988), really started their full-time wine activity in the 1980s, in parallel with my grandparents. Following a BTA then BTS Viticulture-oenology at the Lycée Viticole de la Champagne in Avize, I settled in my turn thanks to the recovery of vines for rent in the town of Villers-Franqueux and the retirement of my grand- parents who give me some leases when their operations are transferred to my parents. Harvesting-Handling and Independent Winemaker from the 2002 harvest. The use of phyto-pharmaceutical products is ultra-moderate and reasoned (practice of under-dosing and only if necessary) thanks to the use of pneumatic equipment considerably reducing the use of products and water consumption per hectare. This process extends to vinification, where the use of CO2 makes it possible to considerably reduce the use of sulphites (SO2) for the protection of oxidation. ”

“Here are the Champagnes that we are offering in 2020, says David Bourdaire: Tradition (base 2015), Reserve cuvées, Prestige and Blanc De Blancs (base 2014), brut Rosé and our novelty, 2008 vintage aged in oak barrels, a Champagne fresh, beautiful maturity. Our Champagnes are all Extra-brut and not dosed, which brings out the expression of the terroir.
The 2019 harvest has given us superb quality, lots of fruit, decent acidity and great potential. It will be another great Champagne. ”
This winemaker delights us with his remarkable Champagne Millésime 2007, always very typical of the terroir, of a very beautiful color, combining charm and structure, all in structure and fragrances, on the nose of fresh small fruits, an unmeasured, dense and very persistent cuvée. , Very fresh and lively on the palate.
All in nuances, its brut rosé, not also dosed, is very floral, subtly spicy, seductive by its delicacy of aromas, which one can lead to seafood tarts or a Caribbean crab.
Excellent raw Blanc De Blancs, part of which is vinified in barrels, it smells of musk, pippin apple and hawthorn, very seductive on the nose and in the mouth, with notes of hazelnut on the finish, perfect, for example, on oysters or marinated raw salmon. Beau Prestige not dosed, 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, from rich loamy soils, which develops delicious buttered aromas, lively, fine and complex mouth with fresh citrus flavors, where there are nuances of ripe grape and nuts, all flavors. Its Tradition, 100% Pinot Meunier, is a great success, a fresh cuvée, elegant foam, all in the end, a very salty Champagne that makes you salivate. Taste the brut Réserve (very pretty screen-printed bottle), suave, all in subtlety.

Owner-Harvester-Handler on 5.5 ha, for several generations. Thierry Brisson (son-in-law) joined the estate to take care of the vines, winemaking and marketing.
You will appreciate, like us, their beautiful Champagne brut Blanc De Blancs Premier Cru Vintage 2012, a beautiful yellow robe with green reflections typical of Chardonnay, with brioche notes, a powerful and bouquetful cuvée. Pretty brut Blanc De Blancs Premier Cru, pure Chardonnay, elegant, with scents of lily, lemon and nuts, golden robe, powerful mouth, melted, all in length. Also taste the brut Premier Cru rosé, it is full-bodied, with a concentrated nose dominated by rose and ripe stone fruits, abundant foam, very well proportioned, combining structure and finesse, with a powerful mouth. The brut Grande Réserve Premier Cru, pure Chardonnay, with a fine and floral nose, reveals a balanced, powerful and fresh mouth, it is a beautiful very tasty Champagne, with delicate and complex scents (tangerine, toast), ample on the palate. Excellent Virtues Premier Cru Vintage, a pretty golden robe, very fine, fruity mouth, a beautiful harmony, with aromas of hazelnut and quince. And the brut Premier Cru, with nuances of grapefruit, ample mouth, it is a very harmonious Champagne.

The farm is spread over 6.40 ha, thanks to the confidence of its donors. All plots are located on the village of Villers-Marmery. They are planted 97% in Chardonnay and 3% in Pinot Noir. Family business created by Robert Boutillez and his wife Françoise Marchand, taken over by his son Joël Boutillez. Hence the creation of the R. Boutillez-Marchand brand in 1960.
Marion, his daughter, has been officially managing the farm since 2001, with Jean-Michel Sourdet since 2007. Both coming from different professions, they adapt to correct this company dear to their heart, thanks to their complementarity and their complicity.

Remarkable Champagne Millésimé Blanc De Blancs 2007, 100% Chardonnay, aged for 10 months on lees in stainless steel vats, and aged 9 years on lees in cellar, Silver medals at the Féminalise 2017 and at the Challenge International du vin. Fine bubbles, fresh nose and a beautiful complexity with notes of citrus and white fruits, a cuvée that exudes a lot of power and character on the palate, and a finish on sweet flavors dominated by strawberry and brioche.
Superb Blanc De Blancs Écrin n n°1 Oak cask, 100% Chardonnay from the terroir of Villers-Marmery. A cuvée developed jointly with the Tonnellerie de Champagne and the Oller corkscrew, both “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant. It is vinified and matured on lees in oak barrels and has only 1,514 copies. The bottle is beautiful, feminine, just like inside, it is a seductive wine with a clear, golden colour, Fine bubbles, great complexity and finesse, very beautiful Chardonnay typicity, fruity, mature, generosity, creamy and tasty notes, a prestigious Champagne to accompany refined dishes. Le Blanc De Blancs brut, aged 10 months on lees in stainless steel vats, and 3 years on lees in cellar, marked by notes of almond and honeysuckle in the final, is ideal with rabbit terrine or a stuffed bar. Excellent rosé Champagne, with a smoky hue, marked by ripe strawberry scents, a tasty and very fragrant cuvée, with a light and round mouth at the same time. The Ratafia (very nice bottle) is really very tasty, it smells yellow fruits and honeyy nuances, very pleasant to the aperitif.