Champagne R. Pouillon - Valnons Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature 2016 Bouteille (75cl)
The 2016 Champagne R. Pouillon Valnons Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature is a sparkling white champagne from Champagne, crafted by R. Pouillon. This Grand Cru cuvée is made from 100% Chardonnay. James Suckling awards it 94/100 and describes a focused wine driven by fine bubbles, with expressions of kumquat, toasted hazelnut, spiced pear, yellow plum, and salted caramel, prolonged by a long and spicy finish. Drink now.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Sparkling White
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Champagne
- Producteur / Domaine
- R. Pouillon
- Cuvée
- Valnons
- Millésime
- 2016
R. Pouillon
Located in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Champagne R. Pouillon & Fils is a family-run estate in the Vallée de la Marne currently led by Fabrice Pouillon. Its 7 hectares, spread across some forty parcels in several Champagne villages, produce blended and single-parcel cuvées, notably Les Valnons, Les Blanchiens, and Le Montgruguet. Vinification and aging are conducted primarily in oak barrels and demi-muids, with particular attention paid to the identity of each terroir.
- Owner
- Famille Pouillon, domaine dirigé par Fabrice Pouillon
- Maître de chais
- Fabrice Pouillon
- Surface (ha)
- 7.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- 55000
Histoire du domaine
The estate was founded in 1947 by Roger Pouillon, who set out to vinify and craft his own champagne from the family vineyard. His son James joined him in 1965; together, they chose the status of récoltant-manipulant to oversee production from the vineyard to the bottle. Fabrice Pouillon, the founder's grandson and the third generation, joined his parents in 1998 and then took over the management of the estate in 1999. Under his leadership, the vineyard holdings were reorganized and precisely identified, certain vines were replanted using massal selection, and soil management evolved toward organic and regenerative agriculture. The estate currently farms 7 hectares spread across about 40 parcels located notably in Avenay, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Épernay, Festigny, Mutigny, and Tauxières. It maintains traditional pressing and favors vinification and aging in wood, while developing its own research on native yeasts and secondary fermentation.
Valnons
Les Valnons is a vintage single-plot cuvée from the eponymous lieu-dit in Aÿ, a Grand Cru classified village. It is crafted exclusively from Chardonnay, an uncommon grape variety in this terroir historically associated with Pinot Noir, and is released as an Extra-Brut.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- The name comes from the climat "Les Valnons" in Aÿ, where the grapes originate.
- Style of the cuvée
- An energetic, dense, and vinous terroir Champagne, marked by strong saline freshness, with an expression that can evolve toward floral and creamy nuances.
- Position within the range
- A rare cuvée from the single-plot collection, described by the producer as a "bold wine".
Histoire de la cuvée
Fabrice Pouillon presents Les Valnons as his "bold wine": based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, he chose to work with Chardonnay in Aÿ, an unusual practice in this Pinot Noir stronghold. The producer notes that the grape variety has adapted particularly well to the site and terroir.
