Bichery La Source Brut Nature MAGNUM 2022

D&M NOTES:

OVERVIEW: This 2022 bottling of La Source is composed of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier from all of their seven parcels. It was raised in a combination of old barrels and stainless steel, with a native fermentation and no sulfur utilized. The time on lees was 24 months and it was disgorged without the addition of dosage, with no sulfur usage throughout. Overall there were a total of 11773 bottles and 300 magnums produced.

TASTING: The nose opens with a beguiling mix of cream and a hint of oak, stone fruits towards apple and yellow plum, just there citrus, and a bit of minerality. On the palate this is moderate in weight with good tension and presence and a flavor set that perfectly echoes what is experienced in the nose.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: The story of Domaine de Bichery begins with the 2015 harvest, when Raphaël Piconnet decided to vinify his own Champagne in a tiny cuvérie (cellar) in Neuville-sur-Seine, renovated a few months prior. Raphaël trained in enology in Changins in Switzerland and "la Viti" in Beaune. From a family that had farmed land for three generations, he decided that with his knowledge and the support of his wife Hannah (who he met while she was working harvest at the domaine in 2012) he would make a small amount himself. Today, Bichery is composed of six parcels in the hills above the town of Neuville, with a bit less than 7 hectare at their disposal. They obtained Ecocert certification in early 2019, and production remains positively tiny. They are members of the "Association des Champagnes Biologique", an intentional group of certified organic grower Champagne producers pushing a new level of terroir-driven quality.