Nicolas Feuillatte’s success is spectacular: the champagne brand was first launched under this name in 1986 and is now the market leader in France and the third largest producer worldwide. The champagnes come from the largest cooperative association in the appellation, Terroirs & Vignerons de Champagne (TECV). At first glance, this is not what comes to mind when we think of exquisite sparkling wine. But with its ultra-modern production centre in Chouilly, TECV has set new standards. With the acquisition of the Castelnau, Abelé 1757 and, most recently, Henriot brands, the company is demonstrating its commitment to premiumisation. This also includes the Nicolas Feuillatte cuvées, with which the house is targeting the off-trade, especially higher-end restaurants. With its entry-level champagnes, Feuillatte – while committed to freshness and elegance – emphasises accessibility, which is often achieved through a high proportion of Pinot Meunier. However, TECV’s partly exquisite vineyard holdings also allow for the production of top cuvées with good ageing potential.
The Vintages
‘We are younger than the Grandes Marques,’ Guillaume Roffiaen states right at the outset, ‘but thanks to our strengths in sourcing, we are able to compete with them.’ Nicolas Feuillatte may not be known for top champagnes with good ageing potential, but in fact, the house plays in the same game with some of its cuvées. As proof, he first brought along the two Grands Crus Millésimes, both from the 2015 vintage. One is the Blanc de Blancs, the other its counterpart, the Blanc de Noirs. According to Roffiaen, both are characterised by a pronounced north-south contrast that gives the champagnes their special character. The Blanc de Blancs contains half classic Grand Crus from the Côte des Blancs such as Avize, Cramant, Oger, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. But the other half comes from Aӱ and Ambonnay. While the former add floral and citrus notes to the blend, the latter bring structure and longevity.
Conversely, Blanc de Noirs combines Pinot Noirs from the southern Montagne de Reims, such as Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy and Tours-sur-Marne, with those from the north, Verzy and Verzenay. The former are responsible for ripe and spicy (in the case of Bouzy, even peppery) aromas. Verzy and Verzenay, on the other hand, bring lightness and delicacy to the blend. In any case, the house has mastered the difficulties of the contrasting 2015 vintage. In many cases, green aromas appeared due to premature harvesting out of concern for overripeness. The Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2015 displays white flowers and light yellow fruits in the bouquet. On the palate, it fascinates with its pure freshness and extraordinary liveliness (92p). The Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2015 reflects more of the maturity of the vintage. Here, mirabelle plums, honey and brioche can be found on the nose. It is softer in acidity and creamier, with a slightly darker character (91p). It is noteworthy that both vintage champagnes were given a remarkably long maturation period of nine years.
Palmes D’Or
Balancing contrasts is also the focus of the house’s prestige cuvée: Palmes d’Or. Here, Chardonnay Grands Crus meet Pinot Noir Grands Crus. And because both have distinct personalities, their assemblage requires a ‘diplomat’, as Roffiaen puts it. In this case, it is Chardonnays from Montgueux in the south of Champagne, where soils similar to those in Sancerre prevail. While these initially present tropical fruit aromas, after about eight years they transform into a ‘cement’ that binds the Chardonnays and Pinots together. That is why the Palmes d’Or never goes on sale before ten years of ageing and consists of 50 per cent Pinot Noir and 50 per cent Chardonnay, 43 per cent of which comes from the Côte des Blancs and 7 per cent from Montgueux. Palmes D’Or 2008 confirms the exceptional status of the cool, late-ripening year. Lemon zest, hazelnuts and ‘structured honey’, as Roffiaen calls it, on the nose. On the palate, it has brilliant acidity and beautiful salinity (94p).
With Palmes D’Or 2009, I learn a few more things from the cellar master. In my opinion, thanks to the sunny vintage, it is rich and generous, but not spectacular (93p). Roffiaen still considers it to be in its infancy. While many houses would have presented the 2008 vintage only after 2009, samples of reserve wines a good five years ago convinced him that 2009 (surprisingly) had significantly more potential. If 2008 is now at its peak, 2009 would still have potential for at least 12 years. Roffiaen’s digression on dosage is also highly interesting. In his view, the sugar content is actually of little importance. Rather, it is more about what constitutes the dosage recipe. This final component of the blend is able to compensate for any remaining imperfections in the assemblage. The 2009 vintage, for example, contains the following wines in the dosage: a non-malo Meunier from 2014, a malo-Chardonnay from 2016 and Pinot Noir from 2018. When asked about the dosage, Roffiaen always replies: exactly what it needs.
Post scriptum
Inside the capsule of the Palmes D’Or, Nicolas Feuillatte has printed a quote from Roland Barthes’ ‘Mythologies’ that is so beautiful that I will quote it here: ‘Un peu de savoir, un peu de sagesse, et le plus de saveur possible.’ In English: ‘A little wisdom, a little knowledge and as much taste as possible’.
To the pictures
Picture 1: Chef de cave Guillaume Roffiaen during the live online tasting in Chouilly
Picture 3: The predecessor Palmes d’Or 2006 compared to its successor vintage 2008
Image rights
Stefan Pegatzky / Time Tunnel
