Bedel Vin Secret Meunier Extra Brut Champagne
CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
“Pear, plum and spice nose, then a honeyed palate with golden peaches and strawberries, plus fresh green herbs. Rich and velvety structure.” - 94 PTS., DECANTER
“This intensely golden colored cuvée opens with a deep and intense, very rich and matured, yet also pure bouquet of very ripe yellow-fleshed fruits and matured apples, with a hint of caramel. Full-bodied, mouth-filling and complex, with nutty flavors on the palate, this is a rich yet stunningly clear and fresh Extra-Brut. ” - 92 PTS., STEPHAN REINHARDT, WINE ADVOCATE (06/2012) (Previous disgorgement)
IMPORTER NOTES:
OVERVIEW: “Dis ‘Vin Secret’ Extra Brut showcases the delicate fruitiness of Pinot Meunier grown on heavier silts and clays then aged sur latte to the point where the primary fruit is in perfect harmony with the aged, autolytic expression of the wine. While frequently released as a 100% bottling of Pinot Meunier, there are some years that Vincent will add up to 10% Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay. (Aged 5 years sur latte, hand riddled and disgorged, 8g/L dosage)”
ABOUT THE PRODUCER: "Françoise Bedel, a single mother of two sons and a new winery, was in a tight spot. Her oldest son was very sick, and she could find no doctor or hospital that could cure him. There were many weeks and months of searching for an answer. Finally, as a last desperate measure, she took him to see an older couple in a nearby village who practiced homeopathic medicine. Under their guidance, Vincent, Françoise’s son, was soon on the mend. She swore off modern medicine and, within months, had removed every chemical or synthetic material from her tiny winery; Françoise became a biodynamic winemaker before virtually anyone in the wine trade had ever heard of the term.
Today the estate is still small (8.4 hectares), and Françoise is doing things her way. While others champion the better-known Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, she is in love with Pinot Meunier, and this variety features heavily at this address. This is not uncommon as the Marne Valley is known for the quality of its Pinot Meunier, and Françoise only farms small amounts of Chardonnay (13%) and Pinot Noir (9%). In addition to her reliance on Pinot Meunier, Françoise is also patient with her Champagnes, and most bottles spend more than six years on the lees and frequently far longer. Low or zero dosage is the rule, chez Bedel.
Located on the extreme western edge of Champagne, Françoise farm vines near the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne on the far edge of the Marne Valley – they are far closer to Paris than the city of Reims! The terroir here is dominated by clay with touches of limestone and gravel. Combined with the Pinot Meunier grape, this leads to wines with heft and weight with long, lingering acidity. We don’t often think of decanting Champagne, but these are wines that are transcendent when exposed to air – they are wines of great soul and depth."