AR Lenoble : Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs V.18

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs V.18 by AR Lenoble

Tasting

Appearance
This champagne reveals a golden hue with greenish highlights, enlivened by extremely fine bubbles that form a delicate, even mousse.

Nose
The nose opens on a floral register before giving way to white fruit aromas, then to more indulgent notes of pastry, vanilla and toasted bread, complemented by a hint of coffee. Yellow mirabelle plum and Golden Delicious apple enrich this palette, carried by a discreet chalky minerality.

Palate
On the palate, this champagne is round and buttery, with an intense, compact and very dynamic texture. The clearly defined acidity is accompanied by a gentle chalky minerality and a creamy texture inherited from barrel fermentation. The long, spicy finish ends on a subtle bitter note that adds definition to the whole.

Other characteristics
The Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs V.18 reflects the Extra Brut style so dear to the house of AR Lenoble, with a very low dosage that lets the raw material express itself without being masked by sweetness, in keeping with the house's other "mag" cuvées.

A Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from the Côte des Blancs by AR Lenoble

The estate
Founded in 1920 in Damery, in the Marne Valley, the house of AR Lenoble was created by Armand-Raphaël Graser. It remained family-owned for four generations under the leadership of the Malassagne siblings, and in 2023 opened its capital to the holding company FG Bros, owned by the Frère-Gallienne family, who are also shareholders of Château Cheval Blanc, with Guillaume Truchot as managing director. This 18-hectare Champagne estate, HVE3 certified since 2012, extends across Chouilly, Bisseuil and Damery.

The vineyard
This Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs originates from the ten hectares of Chardonnay that the house owns in Chouilly, a Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs. This terroir, renowned for its chalky soils, gives the grapes great aromatic finesse combined with a structuring acidity. The entire vineyard has been certified High Environmental Value Level 3 since 2012, reflecting the house's commitment to responsible viticulture.

The blend
This non-vintage champagne is based on base wines from the 2018 harvest, the "mag 18" designation referring precisely to that year. It is enriched by a significant proportion of perpetual reserve wines, partly kept in magnums according to a practice introduced by the house in 2010, which allows for a cuvée with depth and taste memory built up over the years.

Vinification and ageing
The Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs V.18 is partially vinified in barrel, which gives it its characteristic creamy texture. It relies on a perpetual reserve system, partly aged in magnums, and on extended cellar ageing before release, in line with the "mag" cuvées developed by the house.

Grape variety
100% Chardonnay.