Thomas Perseval "Art'Terre Millesime" Champagne, France 2021

FROM SELECTION MASSALE:

THE WINE: Art' Terre is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay, sourced from three distinct parcels in Chamery, a Premier Cru village in the Montagne de Reims. The vines face northeast to north, rooted in clay-limestone and sandy-limestone soils. Certified organic and crafted with biodynamic principles, this cuvée comes from the 2020 harvest. It’s vinified in fût and aged on its lees for at least 24 months before being disgorged à la volée. No dosage—Brut Nature—and minimal sulfur.

THE PRODUCER: Thomas Perseval’s grandparents created this domaine in Chamery as a co-op, and his parents began to make their own, estate-bottled wines in the 1980s. Thomas returned to the domaine in the 2000s after winemaking school, with the goal of changing things, starting in the vines. In 2009 he began to convert to organic viticulture, and was certified organic as of the 2012 vintage. Presently Thomas disgorges both his parent’s wines and his own wines, but labels them separately in order to make a distinction between those that are made from organic grapes, and those that are not. He also changed the regime in the cellar, incorporating (in his own words) a more “laissez faire” philosophy. Thomas, like many of our other favorite young Champenois, is part of a region-wide movement to make more terroir-driven, vineyard-forward wine in Champagne by working organically in the vines, eliminating cultured yeast whenever possible for the vins clairs, incorporating less reductive processes in the cellar, and lowering dosage to highlight ripe, well-tended fruit. He’s also a really nice guy.