Cuvée PETRAEA XCVII - MMV

Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards (10/2004)
Guide Gault Millau 2010 : 17,5 /20 (MMV)
Guide vert - Revue du Vin de France 2010 : 16 /20 (MMV)
Jacques Dupont - Le Point : 17,5-18 /20 (MMV)
Eichelmann Champagner guide : 93 /100 (MMII & MMIII)

The name Petraea comes from an oak variety, the quercus petraea, one of the finest woods for barrel making.

Blend of every harvest from 1997 (XCVII) to 2005 (MMV). For the first 3 years, terroir and grape variety have been separately vinified and aged in oak barrels (Quercus Petraea). The barrels used are 3-wines barrels from Burgundy and Bordeaux, plus 10% of new traditional champagne barrels (205L). Blending is done just before bottling.

Every year, the wine from the latest harvest, vinified and aged separately, is incorporated in the blend (up to ¼ of the whole quantity) and an equal quantity is then taken from the blend for bottling. This principle known as " Solera " assures the presence of old wines in the blend.

A solera started fifty years ago will always include a minimal presence of 50 year old wines. This basis of 75% old reserve wines guarantees a constant quality whatever the vintage, while preserving the character of the terroir.

Champagne Petraea :

Total volume : 75 hectolitres, + or - 25 herctolitres added and taken each year.

Natural indigenous yeasts.
No filtration and no fining
Batonnage of the lees of the new harvest.

Prise de mousse limited to 5 atmospheres / cm2 of pressure (6 atmospheres for our classic cuvées) to get a fine discreet mousse and to emphasize the structure and the vinosity of this cuvée, while preserving its elegance.

Dosage : 7 g./liter of M C R (Grape concentrated must)

Blend :
Pinot Noir 60 % + Pinot Meunier 20 % + Chardonnay 20 %.
Average age of the vines: 30 years.

Read the press reviews (in french)...