I have been pining to try the new Champagne Christophe Baron releases which are unlike any other in Champagne. These are all zero dosage bottlings that showcase Pinot Meunier. Like Christophe, I love great Pinot Meunier producers like Charles Mignon, MV Krug (usually has a high PM percentage), and Egly-Ouriet. Pinot Meunier might be the unsung hero of champagne but when it is done right, the varietal produces nothing short of world-class wines.
Christophe himself is born into an exceedingly long line of Champagne vignerons, with a history that dates back as far as 1677. His expertise was honed through training in Avize (Champagne) and Beaune before moving to the United States and founding one of North America’s iconic brands, Cayuse Vineyards. Christophe’s estate in champagne includes 3 hectares (7.5 acres) surrounding the villages of Charly-sur-Marne, Crouttes-sur-Marne and the hamlet of Porteron, and its vineyard holdings are made up of only very old parcels of Pinot Meunier.
His new champagnes are wines that are highly nuanced that need either a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc glass, or a Riedel tasting glass to grab the beautiful layers that each wine provides. I was also pleased how well these champagnes showed in a Burgundy glass, although the expression of bubbles was obviously muted in the glass. One more point on temperature this time, because these are so finesse-driven, it is important to serve them a bit warmer where the full range of flavors and aromatics can be enjoyed. For several hours I experimented with temperature in the wines and found that they were much better warmed in the 42-45 degree range. They also showed well above 45 degrees. Give them time to develop once opened in part because they come from a very young vintage that is now at the five year mark. 2016 was a tricky vintage as a whole because of the very warm temperatures in August as well as some rains during harvest.
These wines have been given high praise by Antonio Galloni and I can say that I also adored the new 2016 vintage wines by Christophe Baron across the board. I felt that the consistency was just remarkable considering the vintage in general. The wines will evolve well for decades to come but are a delight to savor in their youth. Here are my tasting notes of the glorious new 2016 champagnes by Champagne Christophe Baron and learn more at https://champagnechristophebaron.com/
2016 Champagne Christophe Baron ‘Les Dessus du Bois Marie’ Brut Nature- The 2016 Champagne Christophe Baron ‘Les Dessus du Bois Marie’ shows amazing finesse and a Krug-like minerality with gorgeous lemon oil tones woven together with chalky and diatomaceous earth, with starfruit infused sourdough bread and a light dusting of salinity from the soils that adds to the complexity. The silky mousse impresses and the sense of weight will be eye-catching particularly when warmed and given a good amount of air. Enjoy this gorgeous new champagne over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2016 Champagne Christophe Baron ‘Les Hauts Blances’ Brut Nature-This Brut Nature Pinot Meunier Champagne shows off almost a salmon hue. Aromatically complex, this reveals kumquat and bergamot aromatics with red raspberry tones that are deftly woven together in the glass. The palate comes off big and juicy with a soft mousse. The weight is particularly gratifying here. Ripe Yakima cherry and pomegranate seed combine with shades of Gravenstein apple and kiwi tones all impress on the palate. Gorgeous now, this will evolve well over then ext fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 96
2016 Champagne Christophe Baron ‘Les Alouettes’ Brut Nature- The ‘Les Alouettes’ is a gorgeous, fresh and vibrant expression of Pinot Meunier. Like the other wines in the collection, the feeling of weight here is seriously good, with ginger and quince tones mingling with plum, nectarine and lemon zest on the palate. Don’t serve this too cold and this shows brilliantly in a Burgundy glass. Vibrant and racy in its youth, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2036- 95