Producer notes from Skurnik Wines:
"After graduating from Bordeaux with a masters in Oenology and Viticulture in 2006, Rémi Leroy returned home to Meurville to produce exceptional wines from his family holdings in this corner of Champagne. Leroy’s wines are expressive and a perfect introduction to the landscape of the Aube. His 9.5 hectares of holdings are spread over three villages: Meurville, Bergères, and Fontaine, all within a ten-mile stretch. The vineyards in Meurville are divided into two distinctive hillsides on either side of the Le Landion tributary, with exposures to the east and southwest. In Bergères and Fontaine the exposures are mostly south, all with the classic geomorphology of the Côte des Bars, with a majority of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with small amounts of Meunier, grown mostly on Kimmeridgian soils. Of the 8,000 hectares in the Aube, only 200 are on the younger, Portlandian soils.
Rémi makes wines from only a portion of the vineyards that he farms; a little less than fifty percent of the fruit is sold to NMs, leaving him with the very best parcels. Rémi employs a PAI horizontal press from Coquard and vinifies each parcel individually. After a short sedimentation, the wines are fermented in either stainless steel or oak barrels. A majority of the oak is 300-400 liter, purchased used from Hubert Lamy (St. Aubin) and Thomas Pico (Chablis). The wines spend the winter and spring on the lees before bottling without fining or filtration. Rémi is passionate about vineyards, but also meticulous, Burgundian work in the cellar. “More than Champagne, Champagne wine” is how he describes his very vinous style of wines. He disgorges his non-vintage wine as a Brut Nature and Extra Brut; with zero dosage and 3 grams, respectively. Both NV wines include 30% of reserve wines, produced as a solera started in 2009. 80% of the solera is kept in stainless steel, with 20% in barrel. The wines are 70% Pinot Noir, with 20% Chardonnay, and 10% Meunier, reflective of his holdings. “It is the same as my vineyards” he says."
About the cuvee:
100% Pinot Noir, entirely from the 2019 vintage. The fruit comes from three villages, Meurville, Bergeres and Fontaine, where it is farmed organically. Base wines go through full MLF, and are aged in a combination of stainless steel (60%) and barrel (40%). It was aged for at least 36 months on tirage lees, and bottled with 2 g/L dosage.