Champagne 1er Cru Brut "Ivoire et Ebène" 2014 - Aubry

TASTING NOTES

Bright straw yellow in colour, with a fine and persistent perlage. The nose reveals elegant hints of white-fleshed fruit, yellow flowers and aromatic herbs. In the mouth, it soars with great freshness and energy. It develops on notes of citrus and fruit, with a definite mineral texture. The finish is persistent and harmonious.

PAIRINGS

This brut cuvée goes wonderfully with grilled or baked fish, but also with poultry accompanied by medium-structured sauces. Also perfect with seafood and shellfish.

CELLAR

Aubry is a winery located almost at the tip of the Montagne de Reims, in Jouy-lès-Reims to be exact, a small commune to the south-west of the city of Reims itself. The commune's territory is classified Premier Cru, and it is here that the Aubry family have been winegrowers for many generations, since 1790 to be precise.

Today, it is Pierre and Philippe who manage the fifteen or so hectares of vines they own, divided into more than sixty separate parcels. In the mid-1980s, the two brothers embarked on a singular path, focusing on the development of Champagnes that could represent the perfect combination of tradition and avant-garde. Over time, Pierre and Philippe have succeeded in creating unique and original cuvées, always paying the utmost attention to quality. Cuvées that represent the purest expression of the terroirs they belong to and the area from which they come, and that deserve a chapter apart from the more classic Champagne, since they depart from the standardised taste that sometimes - and sometimes too often - accumulates in Champagne.

The recipe for all this brings together simple ingredients and, above all, is based on a corporate philosophy that is far removed from those of the great Maisons and is aimed at recovering all the oldest indigenous grape varieties in the area. Thus Pierre and Philippe, united in their objective of bringing back the vine varieties of arbanne, petit meslier, fromenteau and enfumé - which join the more common chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier - create unique Champagnes, characterised by an unmistakable style and distinguished by that common thread which, just as the Aubry brothers intended, takes us back to the glorious wines of the late 18th century. From the basic Brut to the Brut "Aubry de Humbert", from the Brut "Le Nombre d'Or Campaniae Veteres Vites" to the Blanc de Blancs, ending with the "Sablé Rosé": the Aubry Champagnes are exciting and emotional.

This blend of chardonnay and pinot meunier comes from Premier Cru vineyards in the commune of Jouy-lès-Reims. The pinot meunier comes from the "l'Auditeur" parcel and 30% is a selection of grapes from old vines. Separate vinification in oak piéces for 9 months, maturation for a period of about 4 years on the lees before dégorgement. Very low dosage of extra-brut. Great taste pleasure.