AOC. Champagne (Vallée de la Marne), France - 100% Meunier.
Legrand-Latour Campanien Brut Nature 2021 is one of the domaine's most expressive and terroir-driven cuvées, crafted in the Vallée de la Marne by winemaker Thibault Legrand. It takes its name from the Campanian geological period, associated with calcareous soils rich in marine fossils that directly influence the wine's mineral and saline character.
This cuvée is made entirely from Pinot Meunier grapes, sourced from vineyards cultivated according to sustainable viticultural principles. The winemaking process follows a minimal intervention philosophy: fermentation with native yeasts, aging on lees, and no dosage (Brut Nature), allowing for a pure expression of the terroir without any oenological embellishment.
Its aromatic profile features ripe stone fruits, red apple, citrus notes, white flowers, and hints of fine pastry. With aeration, deeper notes of damp chalk, dried fruit, subtle spices, and a pronounced mineral character emerge.
On the palate, this is a Champagne of great personality: a broad texture, firm structure, and perfectly integrated fine bubbles. The Pinot Meunier contributes volume, fruit, and roundness, while the chalky imprint of the Campanian soil adds tension, salinity, and a long, slightly umami finish.
Legrand-Latour Campanien Brut Nature 2021 is a gastronomic Champagne, ideal for pairing with roasted poultry, oily fish, traditional French-inspired cuisine, fine charcuterie, and dishes featuring mushrooms or reductions. Its character makes it a cuvée of great interest to those seeking Champagnes with a strong geological identity and uncompromising style.
A direct, honest, and deeply terroir-driven interpretation, reflecting Legrand-Latour's philosophy: to let the vineyard speak for itself above any winemaking intervention.
Disgorgement date: May 2026. Recommended by The Sommelier.
Aurore Casanova "Malo" Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru NV
Aurore Casanova Malo Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru NV is one of the most fascinating single-vineyard Champagnes in the Côte des Blancs. It comes exclusively from the lieu-dit "Malo," a small plot located in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most prestigious villages in all of Champagne and the birthplace of some of the region's most legendary wines. Situated on a mid-slope facing east and southeast, the vineyard rests on exceptional calcareous colluvium soil where the bedrock of craie appears at a depth of only 20-40 centimeters, giving the wine a unique mineral character.
The vineyard, planted in 1990 and cultivated according to biodynamic principles, is worked respecting natural rhythms with minimal intervention both in the vineyard and in the winery. The grapes are hand-harvested at their peak ripeness to preserve the purest expression of the terroir.
Made exclusively with Chardonnay Grand Cru, this Champagne is based on the 2021 vintage and incorporates reserve wines from 2019 and 2017, giving it extraordinary complexity. The base wines ferment spontaneously and are aged for approximately eleven months on their lees in used 228- and 400-liter barrels. They are then blended and bottled without fining or filtration, undergoing extended aging on their lees in the bottle before disgorgement. Dosage is minimal or practically nonexistent, allowing the character of the vineyard to express itself with complete transparency.
On the nose, it offers extraordinary aromatic complexity with notes of orange peel, candied citrus, dried flowers, pine resin, delicate spices, and sandalwood. With aeration, nuances of damp chalk, crushed stone, dried fruit, and saline notes emerge, clearly evoking the wine's calcareous origin.
The palate combines depth, breadth, and energy with exceptional precision. The richness imparted by the reserve wines is balanced by a vibrant mineral tension characteristic of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Here, the Chardonnay displays its full Grand Cru dimension, with a perfectly defined chalky structure, great concentration, enveloping texture, and an exceptionally long finish marked by salinity and citrus freshness.
Aurore Casanova Malo Grand Cru NV represents a contemporary and profoundly territorial interpretation of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. A champagne of enormous personality, it stands out for its minerality, savoriness, complexity, and ability to evoke emotion, placing it among the most interesting creations of the new generation of Champagne producers.
Pairing
Ideal with oysters, shellfish, sea urchins, fine fish, white fish carpaccio, sashimi, scallops, lobster, precise Japanese cuisine, and high-quality soft cheeses.
