Champagne Marie Courtin

There are few wines in this world that exude such laser like precision, finesse, delicacy, and power as the Champagnes of Marie Courtin. The domaine is run by the feisty and energetic Dominique Moreau and is named after her grandmother Marie Courtin.

The estate covers about 2 hectares in the Aube. This, the most-southerly part of Champagne, has long been a sleepy back-water where growers have toiled for generations only to sell their fruit to the Grand Marques in the North only to become a drop in the vinous bucket that is mass produced Champagne.

In recent years though, the Aube has become the hotbed for varietal/vintage and vineyard designated Champagnes - where dedicated growers can see their agricultural efforts all the way to the bottle.

The farming here is biodynamic, yields are low and ferments are natural with élevage in old French barrique. Wines are bottled with no dosage and express both varietal and vintage with excruciating clarity. Production is minuscule: sometimes less than 1,000 cases total with the majority being scooped up by restaurants in Paris and New York.