Pinot Meunier, Champagne, France

A rich, carbonically macerated STILL red from Champagne to ignite curiosity and wonder. Mathilde Savoye is an admirable young winemaker who founded her 3.4 hectare winery in 2017 with the desire to break away from her family’s traditional winemaking style in favour of more sustainable practices. Pinot meunier, known for its relation and similarity to pinot noir, is a big focus here as it is ideally-suited for this micro climate of oceanic meeting continental influences. The truly outlier ‘Coteaux Champenois Rouge’ is made from vines planted in 1978, which see a 4.5 day-long carbonic maceration to lift and lighten, malolactic fermentation to round out the edges and a 17 month aging period between 2/3 French oak barrels and 1/3 stainless steel tanks to bring us to this final and fierce form. Singing lift, brambly undergrowth, a mushroom or two, snacking on fresh black cherries while stewing black cherry jam. We get a very soft, plush and luxurious fruit finish due to a hot harvest! Pour alongside an assorted box full of your favourite chocolate truffles. Champagne is more than just sparkling and damn its delicious!