Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Sainte Anne Brut

Profile & Story

Chartogne-Taillet is a grower-Champagne house based in Merfy, in the Champagne region, farming plots shaped since the 7th century by the abbey of Saint Thierry's Benedictine monks. Cuvee Sainte Anne is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% red grape varieties (mostly Pinot Noir) drawn from across the village's varied lieux-dits. The cuvee blends multiple harvest years - typically about 50% wine from the year preceding bottling and 50% older reserve wines held 2 to 5 years - so older vintages soften and temper the livelier younger wines. Each plot is vinified separately (228-, 350- and 2,000-litre barrels, with a small portion of reserve wine kept in tank) before the final blend is assembled to represent the village as a whole. The wines are never filtered, to preserve texture and the balance of richness/saltiness on the palate. Sainte Anne is disgorged with a Brut dosage that varies little year to year (dosage trials indicate 4-7 g/L is needed to balance the wine), using a liqueur made from the same wine as the cuvee being disgorged.