Brut Millésimé 2012

This vintage expresses both the profile of the year in which it was made and the Alfred Gratien style. This profile makes it suitable for laying down.

Tasting Notes

A particularly luminous, golden yellow appearance featuring slow, extra fine streams of bubbles. A lovely string of foam crowns the surface of the wine.

The nose is initially fruity and “pastry-like” with scents of peach, pear and spring flowers that blend with aromas of cream biscuits. A few seconds later, the bouquet presents a different profile with cherry, granny smith apple, brioche and a few toasted notes. After a few minutes, it veers toward a unique character offering up notes of mocha and gingerbread that herald its future development.

On the palate the wine is ample and velvety in the attack before revealing volume and a fine consistency. The particularly exceptional quality of the acidity gives it a light and ethereal effervescence. The whole makes for a cashmere-like texture with a lingering sense of purity.

The finish is delightful and very long (12 seconds or more), a most successful blend between the acidity and salinity of the wine, for the greatest effect. The tasting culminates with memories of gold rush apple (tangy and floral).

Service and suggestion

Serve at 12°C in a broad flute or a wine glass.

At the table, save this wine with the noblest of dishes. It will go wonderfully with scallops in a clementine sauce, cooked oysters (Mornay or champagne sauce), veal rib with a cream sauce or pig trotters and sweetbread in puff pastry.