Françoise Martinot 'Bistrøtage' Champagne AOC Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs B.19

Charles Dufour began making champagne in Landreville in the Aube in 2006, working with conventional methods at first, but soon switching entirely to organic viticulture by 2010. His wines are authentic reflections of the terroir of the Côte des Bars, and are fermented spontaneously and made without additional sulfur. Dosage is very low (liqueur de tirage is a blend of Dufour’s own wine and cane sugar), yeast used for secondary fermentation comes from his own vineyards, and none of the wines are ever fined or filtered. Recently, Dufour has also begun making wines from vineyards on his mother’s (Françoise Martinot) side of the family located in a nearby village, and personally farmed by Dufour. The result is the separate Françoise Martinot and ‘Bistrøtage’ labels, reflecting different vineyards and family. These wines are always single vintage, vinified with no added sulfur. This cuvée is 100% pinot noir, sourced from vineyard sites on calcareous clay in Chervey from which the fruit for the Françoise Martinot/Bistrøtage line always come from. The vin clair is fermented with indigenous yeast, completes malolactic fermentation, then is aged for one year on lees in 50% tanks and 50% barrels. All of the wine is from the 2019 vintage, and is bottled with liqueur de tirage in October 2020, disgorged in June 2024. Extra brut; <2g/L dosage, no sulfur added. Rich, powerful, elegant wine that is equal parts sultry, savory, and oxidative. Think the perfect slice of fresh focaccia studded with green olives and drizzled with fresh olive oil. Simply put, it’s intensely pleasurable. Certified organic, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.