Champagne Pouillon Brut Grande Vallee 750ml

The NV Brut Reserve is a bend of 65% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier and 15% Chardonnay from different villages and accounts for up to 50% of the total production. The latest disgorgement (November 2017) is based on the 2015 vintage and includes 40% of reserve wines, which age in foudres. The elegant and precise nose is deep, pure and chalky, and the palate is refined yet intense and pretty complex, especially in the quite long and expressive finish. This has very good concentration and refreshing terroir expression. This is an excellent NV Brut. Tasted April 2018.

Score: 92 points -- Stephan Reinhardt, Robertparker.com, Aug 2018

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R(oger) Pouillon is a highly interesting 15 hectares family domaine based in Mareuil-sur-Ay. Operated by Fabrice and Elodie Pouillon in the third generation, the domaine cultivates 68 parcels in total in several villages of the (Petite) Montagne de Reims (Ecueil) and the Marne Valley (Ay, Epernay, Les Mesnil-sur-Oger et al.). They switched to biodynamic farming in 2003 and ferment each parcel on its own partly in oak (tonneaux and pièces), partly in stainless steel. The wines are medium to full-bodied and serious Champagnes that are always clear, well structured and mostly really dry. Some of them would benefit from further bottle age, whereas the wines that were dosed with seven grams are rather fruit-intense and round crowd-pleasers.