Champagne Chartogne Taillet - Les Couarres 2020
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet is located in Merfy , in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne . The estate has existed since 1683, when the Taillet family began cultivating vines in Merfy. It is still a family estate, managed by Alexandre Chartogne-Taillet since 2006. The 11 hectares of the vineyard are divided into 13 separate plots on a clay-sand terroir. Alexandre Chartogne-Taillet uses organic farming methods and has abandoned the use of synthetic herbicides, but is not certified.
The Couarres vineyard is located in the center of the Merfy terroir, in the least draining area of the village. Two types of subsoil are to be identified in this plot: Tuffeau and clay. Of the 3.71 hectares of plot, 1.94 are planted with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. The Couarres are the wines of the estate which require the most rigor during the monitoring of the aging. The fine and sticky texture of the clay requires avoiding as much as possible the rapid intake of oxygen during the aging. It is necessary to protect these Champagnes from oxygen from the pressing, by choosing barrels of 2 or 3 wines in a "humid" environment (cellar) and by limiting the share of angels (evaporation) to limit the weakening of this wine by too much contact with the air, thus regular topping up is carried out on these barrels.
This edition is a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) from the 2020 vintage. It is aged and vinified in 228, 350 and 2000 liter barrels for 9 months . After aging in the cellar, the wine was disgorged in February 2025 with a dosage of 2.5 g/L .
Grape varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
"Les Couarres 2020 is a wine of substance and tension. The palate is structured, dense, marked by a chalky salinity and ripe fruit with accents of juicy pear and white cherry. The perfectly integrated oak aging brings smoky and spicy touches, without masking the purity of the wine."