Charles Dufour & Francoise Martinot Bistrotage Affinage Prolonge Extra Brut B.17

Charles Dufour & Francoise Martinot Bistrotage Affinage Prolonge Extra Brut B.17

Charles Dufour
$140.00

Grape: Pinot Noir 
Vintage: 2017
Type: Sparkling

Charles Dufour has expanded his production by personally farming his mother's family vineyards in the nearby Vallée de l'Arce. This expansion resulted in the Françoise Martinot and Bistrøtage labels, which offer zero-dosage, sulfur-free Champagnes from specific family plots. All Pinot Noir is drawn entirely from the vintage 2017. Sourced from two estate vineyard sites, those in both Chervey and Neuville-sur-Seine. Indigenous yeast fermentation of the vin clair, malolactic fermentation completes, followed by a year’s aging of the base wine in neutral barriques on fine lees. Bottled with liqueur de tirage in October of 2018; disgorgement done after seven years of continuous aging ‘sur pointe’ with regular riddling, June 2025. ‘AP’ stands for affinement prolongée, or prolonged aging, a reference to this profound length of time on lees in the bottle before release. Extra brut, <2g/L dosage, bottled without additional SO2. 

 

Charles Dufour is a highly respected grower-producer of natural Champagne in the Côte des Bar region of southern Champagne, France. Taking over from his family in 2010, Charles quickly adopted organic and biodynamic farming practices, which are challenging in the region's climate. He is known for crafting authentic, terroir-driven Champagnes with a minimalist approach in the cellar. Dufour uses only native yeasts for fermentation, performs long lees aging, and adds minimal to no sulfur. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, expressing the purity of the fruit and terroir.