Tarlant: Cuvee Louis 1996 - Brut Nature

The wine was produced in 1996, still by the siblings' parents. Mélanie and Benoît decided to keep this great vintage in the cellar until it appeared perfectly matured to them. The base wine fermented spontaneously in Burgundy oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is fundamentally avoided at Tarlant. The aging also took place in wooden barrels. After bottling in spring 1997, the wine matured for an incredible 26 years in the winery’s cellars until the Dégorgement on June 5, 2023.

The Champagne is made of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir.

The plot "Les Crayons" in Œuilly, on chalk soils, was mainly planted between 1946 and 1948 by Louis, Georges, Germaine, and Geo Tarlant.

Tarlant: "The year 1996 disproved all prejudices that associate every vintage with its adversities and proved to be a vintage kissed by grace. The north wind, which drove away the frost risk and protected the vines from diseases in spring, is still well remembered, as well as shortly before the harvest when it dried and cleansed the grapes after the rainfalls of the previous days. With a steadily increasing ripeness of the grapes combined with a far above-average acidity, the 1996 vintage quickly established itself as one of the legendary vintages. It has proven this repeatedly ever since.

At the foot of the hill of the village of Œuilly, with a chalk subsoil and the influence of a cold river, this small plot is the purest expression of the terroir of Œuilly. The vines were planted five generations ago by Louis Tarlant, at a time when there were hardly any nurseries. They remain strong and resilient to climatic fluctuations. Each generation of the Tarlant family after Louis has worked with their sense of excellent viticulture, their attention to detail, and their tireless work to achieve a natural balance and express the taste of unique terroirs. Contrary to the trend of our fast-paced times, we have decided to disgorge it after 28 years of aging as an expression of a single-vineyard Champagne from 2024, because this brilliant, introspective Cru from the Les Crayons d'Œuilly site deserves it! We are advocates of minimalism, so it is natural that the expression is Brut Nature."