Marie Courtin "Presence"

Grapes: 1/3 Pinot Blanc + 2/3 Chardonnay

Region: Cote des Bar, Champagne, France

Vintage: 2016

Viticulture: Biodynamic

Soils: Kimmeridgian Limestone + Portlandian

Yeasts: Native

Vinification: Epoxy resin-lined tanks

Fining or Filtering: None

Dosage: 0 g/L

Notes from the Importer: Dominique Moreau has been making single varietal, single vineyard, single vintage, no dosage Champagnes from her tiny 2.5 ha estate since 2005. The vines were planted in the 1970's from massale selection and are farmed organically & biodynamically. The Côte-de-Bars is Champagne's southern most region, closer to Chablis than Reims, and has the same Kimmeridgian limestone as Chablis. The region's warmer temperatures and Kimmeridgian soils excel at making Pinot Noir that is rich and textured while retaining acidity and freshness. Dominique named the estate after her grandmother, Marie Courtin, who Dominique recalls as a strong woman of the earth.

All of the domaine fruit comes from a single vineyard of massale-selection Pinot Noir, with a small amount of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc scattered about, planted in the 1970s by her father-in law.

Obtaining ripe, pristine fruit is primordial since Dominique's wines are non-dosé wines and don't have the addition of sugar to round out the hard edges and mask imbalances. Therefore, the parcel is farmed organically, has been certified since the 2009 vintage, and has been undergoing biodynamic certification as well. Dominique makes her own compost, plows, and focuses on debudding in the spring in order to reduce the chances of rot, always a risk in this damp region. This combination of diligent vineyard work, low yields, clay-limestone soils and a southern exposure gives these wines both power and precision, with energy and lots of mineral intensity.

The fruit is fermented with a yeast strain that was cultivated exclusively from her grapes during the 2003 harvest. These native yeasts are used for both primary and secondary fermentations.

The names of the wines carry spiritual significance for Dominique as well.

She recommends that her wines be served in traditional white wine glasses to allow for their development through increased aeration.