Champagne Marguet - Sapience - Premier Cru - Vintage 2017
The Champagne Marguet Sapience Premier Cru Vintage 2017 is an emblematic cuvée in the world of grower champagnes, the result of a radically artisanal and biodynamic vision. Benoît Marguet crafts a highly precise wine, made exclusively from Premier Cru grapes grown according to organic and biodynamic principles, with horse-drawn work, natural preparations, and strict respect for the cycles of life. Sapience is conceived as a cuvée for meditation, a gastronomic champagne where the aim is less about style and more about the depth of terroir expression. The 2017 vintage, more delicate than some sun-drenched years, particularly highlights finesse, tension, and the chalky dimension of the selected terroirs. The house philosophy is pushed to the extreme here, with limited yields, perfectly ripe grapes, and meticulous work at the press. Sapience 2017 thus positions itself as a very pure, luminous, and vibrant interpretation of the Champagne Premier Cru, halfway between ascetic energy and controlled indulgence.
Champagne Marguet Sapience Premier Cru 2017 comes from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier from rigorously selected parcels in Premier Cru villages. The harvest is entirely manual, with strict sorting in the vineyard to retain only healthy and perfectly ripe grapes, an essential condition for low-intervention winemaking. Fermentation takes place in small barrels or neutral containers, using exclusively indigenous yeasts, then the wine is aged for a long time on lees to gain complexity and texture. Malolactic fermentation is conducted naturally, which softens the structure without diminishing the chalky tension of the terroir. After disgorgement, extended aging on laths refines the bubbles and brings subtle pastry nuances without heaviness. The dosage, very low, places Sapience in an extra brut style, even close to brut nature, allowing the minerality and structure of the wine to express themselves clearly. Overall, this results in a champagne of great precision, made for the table and aging rather than just as an aperitif.
On tasting, Sapience Premier Cru 2017 presents a pale gold robe with lemony reflections, animated by fine and regular bubbles. The nose reveals a precise aroma of ripe lemon, grapefruit, and green apple, complemented by notes of white flowers, damp chalk, fresh hazelnut, and a touch of fine brioche. On the palate, the attack is straight and taut, supported by a chiselled effervescence that highlights the freshness and verticality of the wine. The mid-palate combines the chalky finesse of Chardonnay with the flesh and discreet spices brought by the Pinots, in a texture that is both ample and very dynamic. The finish is long, saline, slender, marked by citrus fruits, a hint of almond, and a very clear minerality that leaves the palate perfectly clean. At the table, Sapience 2017 ideally accompanies scallop carpaccio, citrus sea bass tartare, grilled noble fish, creamy Bresse poultry, mushroom risotto, or well-aged Comté served at the right temperature.
Grape varieties: 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 25% Meunier.
