Julien Prélat "Les Vignes Basses" Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut

Julien and Karine Prélat are tiny grower-producers in Celles-sur-Ource, in the Côte des Bar at Champagne's southern tip. Julien took over his family's vines in 2000 and, mentored by his neighbor Cédric Bouchard of Roses de Jeanne, follows the same strict philosophy: no blending across grapes, parcels, or years. Each cuvée is one variety, from one parcel, from one harvest, farmed along organic lines at very low yields. Les Vignes Basses is his only Meunier cuvée, 100% Meunier from a single parcel planted in 1986 on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone, the fossil-rich seashell soil also found in Chablis. It's fermented in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation, aged at least 28 months on its lees, and finished Extra Brut with a very low dosage of 3–4 g/L. Production is minuscule, around 2,200 bottles from the 2022 harvest. Tasting notes: Pale gold with a fine, lively bead. Aromas of lemon, crisp green apple, and ripe red fruits, layered with brioche, a hint of honeyed apricot, and chalky minerality. The palate is generous and rich in texture, a hallmark of Meunier, but cut by bright, vibrant acidity and a salty, mineral edge from the Kimmeridgian soils. The finish is remarkably long and precise.