Champagne Tarlant - La Vigne d'Or (Vendange 2002)

This dynamic family-run winery, located in the heart of the Marne Valley, is steadily growing and is not afraid to offer wines from specific plots—with very little or no sugar added—that are always robust in character. The Tarlant family has been cultivating vines since 1687 and began selling its first bottles in 1929 under the name “Carte Blanche.” Today, the next generation is firmly in place, with Jean-Mary and Micheline Tarlant and now their children, Benoît and Mélanie. The 14-hectare vineyard, carefully tended using organic fertilizers, comprises 55 plots planted with the three traditional grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay), as well as Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier, and Arbanne.

With deep roots in Champagne, the Tarlant family was already growing grapes in Dom Pérignon’s time. The estate was established in the Marne Valley beginning in 1780, and its first champagne was released in 1929. Today, it boasts a 14-hectare vineyard and a distinctive style. At the helm since 1999 are Benoît and Mélanie, the children of Jean-Mary Tarlant, who chairs the house. In the cellar, Benoît vinifies in small tanks or barrels by “climat,” without malolactic fermentation; he ages the reserve wines on lees and favors low dosages (extra-brut) or no dosage at all (brut zéro).

"As close to its origins as possible—Champagne in its purest form," reads the label of this family-owned estate, one of the most dynamic in Champagne. In the heart of the left bank of the Marne Valley and the Surrmelin Valley, Benoît Tarlant (the winemaker) and his sister Mélanie (in charge of sales and communications) are gradually taking over from their parents. Their viticulture is demanding, adapted to a mosaic of soils and subsoils: from sandy flint to clay, limestone, and pure chalk. Without the addition of yeast or enzymes, two-thirds of the winemaking takes place in oak. These Champagnes have body and texture, and they retain great freshness due to a light dosage: in 2010, the entire production switched to minimal dosage (extra-brut, 4.5 g) or no dosage (Nature). A true vintage-focused policy is now in place, and, like the greatest Champagne houses, the Tarlants release their wines after eight or ten years in the cellar, when they have reached their peak. Bravo.