NV Champagne Perrine Fresne 'Sarmate I' Premier Cru

37% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir, 26% Meunier; farmed on 45 year old vines in Sermiers, a 1er cru-ranked village in La Petite Montagne de Reims. The number 1 signifies Perrine’s first effort to make the best wine of a vintage from her village, using reserve wine to keep a base level of consistency while showcasing the attributes of the 2020 vintage. 73% of the wine comes from the warm 2020 vintage. The wine never underwent malo, whereas the 27% of reserve wine, from her father’s stock, did complete malo. 18 months lees aging. 2g/L dosage. 4,776 bottles made. Light bodied but quite concentrated, well balanced and smooth textured, zesty, ripe fruit flavors of apples, strawberries & citrus notes with yeasty, toasty brioche & minerals. Lingering dry finish. Drinks quite well at present and will develop further.

Perrine Fresne exemplies the dynamic change happening in Champagne today. Inheriting 7.5 acres of vines in Sermiers in 2000, she immediately took a greener approach in the vines and a Burgundian approach in the cellar–a complete change of course from that of her father. Of her total acreage, she reserved 1.7 for her own nascent production (the rest went to the co-op for cash flow) and embarked on making the best of Sermiers in one blend named Sarmate while making several micro-cuvées from specic parcels.