Champagne Alexis Limar - Feet in the Earth - Brut Nature 2019
Based in La Neuville-aux-Larris in the Marne Valley, Alexis Limar and his wife Jeanne run a young three-hectare estate spread across La Neuville-aux-Larris, Cuchery, Belval-sous-Châtillon, and the grand cru of Mailly-Champagne. The vines are cultivated without herbicides or pesticides, with priority given to living soils and manual labor for a clear expression of the terroirs. This low-intervention approach continues in the cellar, where fermentation relies on indigenous yeasts and where aging aims for precision rather than demonstration.
Les Pieds dans la Terre 2019 is a blended cuvée designed as a return to basics. The 2019 vintage brings together a majority of Chardonnay complemented by Pinot Noir and Meunier, notably from vines planted in 1983 near Belval-sous-Châtillon. Vinification is carried out in Burgundy barrels with indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation is carried out, and no fining or filtration alters the material. The wine rests forty-eight months on lees before being converted into Brut Nature, without dosage, in order to deliver a faithful interpretation of the vintage and the marl-limestone subsoil.
The nose opens with purity on crisp pear, candied lemon and acacia blossom, then gains complexity with notes of fresh almond, wet chalk and a subtle pastry touch from the aging. The palate combines directness and fullness, carried by a fine effervescence and chiseled acidity that stretches a heart of white fruits and citrus. The texture, finely chalky, draws a slender silhouette without austerity. The finish, dry and sapid, prolongs reminiscences of flint, grapefruit zest and a delicate salinity that signals the ripe harvest and the choice of non-dosage.
At the table, this vintage proves versatile and precise. It pairs well with flat oysters, sea bass ceviche with citrus, shellfish sashimi, or sole meunière. Its length on the palate perfectly complements farm-raised poultry roasted with lemon and herbs, pikeperch with beurre blanc, or asparagus risotto. Pressed cheeses cooked for twenty-four months, such as a Comté, highlight its saline dimension and persistence.
Grape varieties: 60% Chardonnay 20% Pinot Noir 20% Meunier
