Quentin Beaufort La Grande Charme Brut 2010

Quentin Beaufort La Grande Charme Brut 2010

Quentin Beaufort
$54.00

Grape: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Type: Sparkling

Crafted by Quentin Beaufort from organically farmed vineyards in the unique clay-limestone slopes of Pothières near the Champagne-Burgundy border, this sparkling cuvée reflects an uncompromised commitment to natural ancestral winemaking. The Pinot Noir-dominant blend ferments spontaneously with native yeasts in neutral wooden barrels before undergoing its secondary bottle fermentation using concentrated organic grape must rather than commercial sugar. Aged extensively on the fine lees and disgorged manually, without added sulfur or dosage, the liquid preserves the pristine energy of the 2010 vintage. This is a raw, electric vintage sparkler that marries Burgundian depth with chiseled natural tension.

It pours a pale gold with a fine, persistent effervescence. Aromas of baked brioche, orchard fruit, white flowers, and damp stone shift into a focused palate brimming with sour lemon, dried herbs, and a subtle touch of natural yeastiness. The mouthfeel is driving and taut, fueled by 2010's high natural acidity and a firm, chalky mineral streak. It finishes long, dry, and savory, leaving a mouthwatering impression of grapefruit pith and crushed sea salt.

Champagne Mouzon-Leroux is a grower estate in the Grand Cru village of Verzy, led by ninth-generation vigneron Sébastien Mouzon. Since taking over in 2008, Sébastien has converted the family's vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming while embracing agroforestry, aromatic plants, animals and homemade herbal preparations to strengthen the life of the soil. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lead the plantings, joined by Champagne's rarer historic varieties. The wines are fermented with native yeasts and shaped with a light hand, combining Verzy's chalky tension with depth, savory character and a distinctly living sense of place.