Pascal Doquet Champagne Brut Vertus Coeur de Terroir 1er Cru

Pascal Doquet, located in Vertus near Avize, owns an exquisite 8.66 hectare domaine-which includes parcels in some of the best grand and premier cru vineyards in the Cote de Blancs. He is one of the most well-respected winemakers in the region for a reason: his dedication to quality is absolutely relentless. Growing up in this renowned part of Champagne, he apprenticed under his maternal grandfather Andre Jeanmaire and his parents, Nicole and Michel Doquet, working with them since 1982 and finally taking over in 1995. Since 2004, Pascal and his wife, Laure, are the sole proprietors of the estate, which has allowed him the freedom to move in the direction of organic viticulture. ONE OF CHAMPAGNE’S RARE ORGANIC PRODUCERS Establishing himself as a Societe de Recoltant, the structure reserved to estates owned by families, and known as an “avowedly environmentally-conscious grower”, Pascal grows his own grapes, makes his own cuvees, and bottles his own wine. 95% of the production is Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir. He farms 5.20 hectares of vineyards organically from 4 different crus in the Cote de Blancs. His holdings here are among the finest in this region. The deeply chalky soils are the prime terroir for Chardonnay, which is why this area produces Champagne’s most famous Blancs de Blancs. The 5.20 hectares include 1.67 hectares of grand cru vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger on the deep chalky soils of a former estuary. Additionally there are 3.52 hectares of 3 premier cru vineyards situated in Vertus and Bergeres-les-Vertus on deep chalk and clay, and in Le Mont Aime on the yellow chalk, flint and sand of a former estuary. The domaine’s remaining 3.5 hectares of vines are located to the southeast of Vertus in the Cotes du Perthois, near Vitry le Francois. This vineyard was planted in the seventies by Pascal’s father. The gray clay topsoil and deep chalk subsoils here are reserved for cuvee, “Horizon.” Pascal has spent a decade slowly converting his vineyards to organic farming, earning certification in 2010. Champagne is one of the most difficult regions in France to implement pure organic farming practices, due to climatic conditions that leave grapes susceptible to frost, hail, humidity and rot. And with yields 20 to 30 percent lower than appellation standards, Pascal’s methods demonstrate his commitment. He works mostly by hand to achieve harmonious and airy leaf development. When he plows, he is careful to use a lightweight, fuel-efficient tractor to till between vineyard rows. Varied natural cover crops between vineyard rows promote nutrient-rich soils. Pascal aims to harvest at approximately 11° potential alcohol. He always works with the rhythm of nature, thus the harvest can last anywhere from 10 to12 days. The goal is to harvest grapes which have achieved both physiological and phenolic ripeness. NO RECIPE, JUST UNCOMPROMISING STANDARDS Pascal has never subscribed to one vinification method. As a true artist does, he allows the vintage and the terroir to dictate winemaking. Most of his wines go through malolactic fermentation, though there are years some do not. There are a few common traits among his vinifications, however. Grape pressings are slow and gentle. The fruit from every parcel is vinified separately to highlight the character of each terroir, with the non-vintage cuvees aged in enameled steel and the vintage champagnes in barrel, with judicious and moderate use of batonnage. Fermentations only occur with native yeast specific to each subplot. The wine then sits on the fine lees for four to five months after alcoholic fermentation and again for long years after secondary fermentation in the bottle to develop texture and power—much longer than the wines of his peers. Thirty percent of the wines are aged in large barrels with a minimum age of 4 years to help develop plumper wines and to slightly permit oxygen contact which helps develop complexity and soft texture. The serious nature of this Domaine is evident in the unusually high percentage of reserve wines in the non-vintage cuvees - on average 50%. Additionally, the premier and grand cru non-vintage cuvees may have up to 4 years in the blend and are released after a minimum of 5 years aging. This commitment to quality, complexity and texure is rare to find in a recoltant manipulant.