Champagne Tarlant - Zéro Brut Nature

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This dynamic family business, located in the heart of the Marne Valley, is growing steadily and is not afraid to offer wines from specific plots, with little or no dosage, always of a robust constitution. The Tarlant family has been growing vines since 1687 and began marketing its first bottles in 1929 under the name Carte Blanche. Today, the next generation is well represented by Jean-Mary and Micheline Tarlant and now their children Benoît and Mélanie. The 14-hectare vineyard, cultivated with care and 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.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Deemed remarkable last year, this cuvée has been crowned with success after an additional year in the cellar. It is a blend of equal parts of the three Champagne grape varieties and vintages from 2008 to 2005. In the interests of purity, no sugar is added during disgorging. The deep golden color is enlivened by bubbles that are as fine as they are persistent. The nose is flattering and fresh, revealing subtle notes of flowers and white fruits, with hints of butter, brioche, and empyreumatic notes. Framed by a lively attack and a long, invigorating, lemony finish, the palate shines with its fullness, structure, and aromatic palette, where fig gives way to mango, passion fruit, and citrus. A superb continuity between the nose and the palate.

About the estate:

Deeply rooted in Champagne, the Tarlant family were already growing vines in the days of Dom Pérignon. The estate was established in 1780 in the Marne Valley, with the first champagne delivered in 1929. Today, it boasts a 14-hectare vineyard and a renowned style. At the helm since 1999 are Benoît and Mélanie, the children of Jean-Mary Tarlant, who presides over the house. In the cellar, Benoît vinifies in small vats or barrels by "climat," without malolactic fermentation, ages the reserve wines on lees, and favors low dosages (extra-brut) or no dosage at all (brut zéro).

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

As close as possible to its origins, pure Champagne wine can now be found on the labels of this family estate, one of the most dynamic in Champagne. In the heart of the left bank of the Marne Valley and Surrmelin, 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 flinty sands to clays and limestones to pure chalk. Without yeast or enzymes, two-thirds of the vinification is done in wood. These champagnes have volume and chewiness, and they retain great freshness due to a light dosage: in 2010, the entire production was dosed minimally (extra-brut, 4.5g) or not at all (Nature). A true vintage policy is now in place and, like the greatest Champagne brands, Tarlant releases its wines after eight or ten years in the cellar, when they are at their optimum. Bravo.