Champagne Marguet - Les Saints Rémys - Ambonnay Grand Cru 2020
Champagne Marguet is intimately linked to the village of Ambonnay, one of the most sought-after grands crus of the Montagne de Reims, where Benoît Marguet crafts terroir-driven wines with rare energy. Converted to biodynamics many years ago, the estate tends its plots like true gardens, using draft horses, natural preparations, and careful observation of the chalky soils. In this highly artisanal world, each named plot is vinified as a distinct entity to reveal its unique personality. Les Saints Rémys is one of these emblematic plots, located in Ambonnay, producing a grand cru that is concentrated, deep, and intensely expressive. The Les Saints Rémys Ambonnay Grand Cru 2020 cuvée thus follows the line of the house’s signature champagnes, both powerful and highly precise. It is a confidential single-plot wine, sought after by enthusiasts who favor champagnes with character and clearly identified origin.
Champagne Marguet Les Saints Rémys Ambonnay Grand Cru 2020 comes from Pinot Noir vines rooted in chalky and clay-limestone soils, perfectly suited to this king grape of the Montagne de Reims. The grapes, hand-harvested at precise maturity, come from low yields to concentrate the matter while preserving freshness. Vinification takes place in barrels or small neutral containers, with indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention, aiming for transparency and accuracy. Malolactic fermentation is generally conducted naturally, bringing roundness and integration without weighing down the wine. After disgorgement, a long aging on lees in the bottle refines the bubbles, complexifies the bouquet, and gives the creamy and savory texture typical of the Marguet style. The dosage, very low or even zero depending on the philosophy of the vintage, places this cuvée in an extra brut register of great purity, where one fully tastes the chalk of Ambonnay. Overall, it produces a terroir-driven champagne, dense yet vibrant, crafted for gastronomy as much as for pure tasting.
On the palate, Les Saints Rémys 2020 presents a luminous golden robe with slightly coppery reflections, animated by fine and regular bubbles. The nose opens with intense notes of yellow and delicate red fruits, peach, mirabelle plum, raspberry, and redcurrant, complemented by nuances of orange zest, white flowers, toasted bread, and a very marked chalky minerality. On the palate, the attack is straight and ample, with concentrated matter supported by precise effervescence that highlights the wine’s tension. Pinot Noir brings volume, spices, and an almost tannic grain, while the saline and chalky framework lengthens the palate in a very pure register. The finish is long, vibrant, slightly saline, marked by citrus, fine spices, and a sensation of wet stone that signs the grand cru of Ambonnay. At the table, this cuvée pairs wonderfully with scallop carpaccio, tartare or seared tuna steak, roasted lobster, free-range poultry with morels, mushroom risotto, or aged Comté cheese. Served not too cold, it reveals all its complexity and dimension as a great gastronomic champagne.
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
