Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut Nature
To create a non-dosed champagne, it’s essential to choose a ripe, generous year to allow the effervescence to develop on the palate without aggression, particularly when the wines are not undergoing malolactic fermentation, as is the case with all Alfred Gratien champagnes. This choice preserves the wine’s vivacity and freshness. Not all vintages can give rise to zero dosage.
If a cellar master can compensate for the lack of sunshine with a carefully dosed liqueur d’expédition, when he chooses to replace the volume lost at disgorgement with the same wine carefully preserved in vats, the vintage must stand out for its complexity, roundness and perfect balance.
For the first edition of CHAMPAGNE ALFRED GRATIEN BRUT NATURE, cellar master Nicolas Jaeger has chosen the very fine 2008 vintage, to which he has added 15% reserve wines.
The best harvests of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier
Chardonnay arrives from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Avize, Chouilly, Vertus, Cramant), pinot noir from Ludes and Bouzy, pinot meunier from Leuvrigny, Damery and Reuil-sur-Marne.
To shorten transport times, the grapes are pressed in the heart of the vineyard in two fractions: the “cuvée” and the “taille”. At Alfred Gratien, only the noble juice of the cuvées becomes champagne.
Vinification in oak barrels
Alfred Gratien remains one of the last Champagne houses to still carry out all its vinification in 228-liter oak barrels that have housed at least 4 wines.
This is a more costly choice in terms of quality – since the angels’ share represents between 4 and 6%, the barrels have to be topped up regularly – but the exchange with the wood gives rise to a micro-oxidation that brings the wine to life, making it warmer and longer-lasting.
The wines remain in these barrels from October until late February/early March. In December, Nicolas Jaeger opens the cellar doors to allow tartaric precipitation to take place naturally, in the cold. In spring, he tastes and blends the base wines. A stylistic exercise in osmosis with the promises of the future Champagne. Measure after measure, he draws its profile.
CHAMPAGNE ALFRED GRATIEN BRUT NATURE
Grape varieties: 41% chardonnay, 32% pinot noir, 27% pinot meunier.
Vinification: Fermentation and ageing in small 228-litre oak barrels of at least four wines, no malolactic fermentation. No malolactic fermentation.
Aging: 4 years on laths. The volume lost on disgorging has been replaced by the same wine, so no expedition liqueur is used.
Tasting and serving: pale gold color, persistent, pearly mousse. The nose opens with scents of lemon and white flowers. The palate is straightforward, taut and lively, offering remarkable balance and freshness.
Serve at a temperature of 10°C as an aperitif or with seafood, caviar or wild salmon.
Price incl. VAT: 32.50 euros from wine merchants.
Champagne Alfred Gratien,
30 rue Maurice Cerveaux – BP 3 – 51201 ÉPERNAY Cedex.
Tel. 03 26 54 38 20 – Fax 03 26 54 53 44 – www.alfredgratien.com
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
