Champagne Barnaut "Blanc de Noir" Grand Cru Bouzy

Edmond Barnaut was one of the first pioneers in Champagne to create his own brand outside of the controlling centers-of-power of Epernay and Reims. In 1874 he set up shop in Bouzy, where he owned vines and where he married Appoline Godmé- Barancourt (now there’s a name!), heiress to addi- tional vineyards in the village. Cellars were dug as deep as 15 meters underground, and the first cuvée made of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardon- nay was launched.

Philippe first made this Pinot Noir wine in 1995 and quickly gained a reputation for burnishing the finesse in what is, given the grape and the terroir, an innately large-scale wine. His rendition stands in contrast to the single vineyard Blanc de Noirs made by his friend Francis Egly of Egly-Ouriet in Ambonnay, a contemporary who is also well known for this class of wine but whose style emphasizes the power and weight of the area's Pinot Noir. The dosage averages 6 g/l with a yearly production of 1,650 cases.