Brocard Pierre Tradition Brut Champagne

The nose shows a present Pinot character with apple skins, spice, clove, dried flowers, clay and a mix of orange and citrus zests. The palate has good presence to it with pastry and toast notes combined with apple and stone fruits that ends on a savory salty note. D&M Tasting Notes

This area has been producing some fascinating Champagne, and before we get into the producer we wanted to talk a little bit more about this southern subregion of Champagne. Geographically and gastronomically, the Cote de Bar has much in common with Burgundy– this is one hour from Chablis, after all. In fact, before the French Revolution this area was considered to be a part of Burgundy and had been for centuries. A good number of producers will take their winemaking studies down in Burgundy versus up in Avize, which has a very real impact on the style of bubbly that they put forth.

 Thibault Brocard is the fifth generation to work the land and make Champagne since his great-great-grandfather began in 1932. The family has an even longer history in this part of Champagne having settled here from Ireland in the 11th century. Brocard is located in Celles-sur-Ource in the Seine river valley, known more specifically as the Barséquanais area of the Côte des Bar. Thibaud had a practical introduction to winemaking, having spent five years from 2006 to 2011 working in some of the finest cellars of Burgundy to better understand the approach to vineyard management and winemaking that sets that region apart. When he returned to the family domaine of 6.5 hectares, he renewed his focus on farming first with a switch to organic viniculture and a loose adoption of biodynamic principles. He does not use any synthetic chemical products in the vineyard, and any mildew is managed with tiny applications of copper as Thibaut has a particular sensitivity to that element.

(The estate has been glyphosate free for 20+ years.) “My way of working with the vineyards and wine is very simple. In my eyes, understanding and taking care of my vineyards is the biggest part of my job as a winemaker.” The family’s holdings are made up of 11 parcels planted to Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and a small amount of Pinot Meunier. [These vines are planted atop exposed soils that mostly come from the Jurrasic period, more specifically Kimmeridgian and Portlandian. This seam of soils continues south where it is also found beneath Chablis’ great Grand Cru sites.] In the cellar Brocard is similarly innovative in his simplicity. He primarily uses stainless steel vessels for fermentation as they allow for the grape and place to shine through more clearly. All fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts and Thibaud utilizes nitrogen in the winery to protect his tanks and solera from oxidation. This allows him to make correct and terroir expressive wines without much additional sulfur.

This cuvee is the introduction to Thibaud’s range, so the aim here is for an expression of the terroir of the place coupled with an open knit style. The Tradition is made up of 80% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Blanc, and 5% Chardonnay. This is mostly from the 2018 vintage with 30% being from a solera started by his father Pierre in 1991. It was aged on its lees for 24-36 months before being disgorged with a dosage of 4 grams per liter. (We were sent two disgorgements from the same base vintage, and after comparing the two found them quite similar.) We found this to have a bit of a natural character to it with a fun mix of fruit and umami notes. Michael Kennel, D&M