Tasting: A. Margaine Le Brut NV

Grower Champagnes have been increasing in stature and popularity for a number of years – and with good reason. Often, they present better value than the major houses with smaller production, meticulous winemaking and a passion for both their terroir and their wines that is hard to match in Champagne

Arnaud Margaine is a fourth generation grower-producer with vineyards based in Villers Marmery, located in the Montagne de Reims. The vineyards here are a bit of an oddity – Chardonnay in a sea of Pinot Noir. But the Chardonnay vines that are found here are unique in that the clone is found nowhere else in Champagne.

Arnaud looks at each vintage how it is presented, changing the winemaking to suit its needs rather than sticking to a prescribed recipe. This allows flexibility in both the vineyard and the winery that can be uncommon in the big houses.

The vines average over 35 years old and the vineyard uses no herbicides or pesticides and despite not being certified organic (yet), adherence to organic principals are still followed with meticulous precision. Cover crops are used extensively during winter.

In the winery a mix of barrel and stainless steel fermentation occurs, giving the final blends texture and complexity, although the barrel portion never exceeds 30% of the blend. Malolactic fermentation never exceeds 20%, giving freshness and retaining high natural acidity. Bottle maturation is a minimum of 24 months on lees before disgorgement.

The wine I tasted was disgorged in January 2021 with a base wine from the 2018 vintage.

Pale lemon in the glass with a fine and persistent bead – exactly what one might expect for a grower Champagne.

Good intensity to the nose with aromas of lemon and yellow apple, brioche and cream characters persist with some slight almond notes. It’s got amazingly complex characters for such a young Champagne, having only been in the bottle for just on three years all up.

On the palate the wine comes into its own with some great intensity and complexity to the lemon, green apple flavours, backed by a creamy overtone. Typical high acidity with a medium body and a fantasic finish of great length.

It’s wines like these that keep me interested to find more grower Champagnes – this is A. Margaine’s entry level wine, yet it shows complexity that just is not found in the wines of the major houses at the same price point.

With the increasing rise of the grower Champagne category, the future definitely sparkles.

This wine is available in Australia via Fine Wine Cellars. Use the coupon code ‘WINEGEEK’ during checkout to get 15% off all wine purchases, excluding sale items and prepacked selections.