Vouette et Sorbée Blanc d’Argile Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature NV
Growers such as Bertrand Gautherot are the new avant-garde of quality production in Champagne. A number of vignerons have quit their co-operative contracts with larger Champagne houses in the last thirty years or so, to produce Champagne under their own label. Hence we have a plethora of exciting choices from growers such as Vouette et Sorbée. What we really enjoy about this style is that they display a lot of vinous character and a sense of vineyard terroir year to year. Although it’s labelled as NV, there is discreet “R”, or récolte meaning harvest, followed by the year of productions on the back label. Gautherot does this to show which vintage the majority of his base wine is from. On top of that there is zero dosage added to any of his wine, which means they are energetic and dry. Vouette et Sorbée is named after the two major holdings of vines that Bertrand has, where he farms them biodynamically. They are in fact situated very close to the Chablis region, where Chardonnay rules the show. Hence this cuvée is one hundred percent Chardonnay and could be described as being high-end Chablis with bubbles. Silky stone fruits and citrus with a saline backbone. If you’re hosting some wine lovers for dinner, then this will set the tone right from the beginning. If you feel like living dangerously, feel free to serve in a small wine glass to really show off the complexity of the Chardonnay.