Pascal Doquet 'Vertus' Coeur de Terroir '09

This is one of three wines that Pascal makes that is a blend of five of his best parcels in Vertus - hence the tearm the 'Heart of Vertus'.

This is both expressive and beautifully poised, showing white flowers, stone fruit and fine lemon zest on the nose. The palate has great breadth, energy and structure, finishing with familiar notes of fresh bread and warm pastry.

There is a vivid citrus drive, precision and intensity of a great vintage. This is a top notch champagne that shows off the richness of southern Côte des Blancs chardonnay + pinot noir alongside the warmth and generosity of the 2009 vintage.

Pascal has been making wines for his parents brand since 1993 and over the years he decided to establish his own brand in 2004 - Pascal Doquet. Pascal is dedicated to his vineyards - his viticultural methods are 100% organic and he uses late ripening like Egly Ouriet, Benoît Lahaye and Rémi Leroy to achieve full maturity in his fruit. He doesn't harvest less than 10.5 degrees of potential alcohol, very high for champagne – so there is never any need for chaptalisation or addition of sugar.
The winemaking is natural and non-interventionist with only native yeasts used for the primary ferment and bottling takes place with no filtration or fining. He does use malolactic fermentation and then the wine remains on lees for around five months, with one third of the production being aged in old oak barrels before the secondary ferment in bottle. These truly are incredibly intense and vivid expressions of champagne. He has a wide range of wines and many are site specific, with each cuvée expressing its own distinctive character.

70% Chardonnay 30% pinot noir; Organic, Natural Yeasts, long ageing. Bottled September 2010 and disgorged November 4th 2021, <meta charset="utf-8">with 2 grams of dosage. The grapes for this cuvee come from five of Pascal’s best parcels in Vertus. Vinified in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts.

A well made Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame. Basically a posh ham and cheese toastie.