Champagne Etienne Sandrin, Le Bruyant Extra Brut 2019
Champagne Etienne Sandrin is a relative newcomer in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in Southern Champagne. Etienne’s work ethic and knowhow are so detailed it rivals multi generational top growers. Each of his bottling are of utmost purity and laser like precision. Le Bryant (translating as noisy) is a field blend of 90% Pinot noir and about 10% Pinot Blanc takes all its energy form the river Ource, which is 10 meters below and a north facing slopes on Clay which gives all the weight in this special Champagne. Again extremely limited production of 690 bottles a year
Champagne Etienne Sandrin is a relative newcomer in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in Southern Champagne. Etienne’s work ethic and knowhow are so detailed it rivals multi generational top growers. Each of his bottling are of utmost purity and laser like precision. Le Bryant (translating as noisy) is a field blend of 90% Pinot noir and about 10% Pinot Blanc takes all its energy form the river Ource, which is 10 meters below and a north facing slopes on Clay which gives all the weight in this special Champagne. Again extremely limited production of 690 bottles a year
Champagne Etienne Sandrin is a relative newcomer in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in Southern Champagne. Etienne’s work ethic and knowhow are so detailed it rivals multi generational top growers. Each of his bottling are of utmost purity and laser like precision. Le Bryant (translating as noisy) is a field blend of 90% Pinot noir and about 10% Pinot Blanc takes all its energy form the river Ource, which is 10 meters below and a north facing slopes on Clay which gives all the weight in this special Champagne. Again extremely limited production of 690 bottles a year
Etienne takes his precision from his previous life as a jurist while Anne was an agricultural engineer. They took over from Etienne’s father in 2006 when he retired. The work at the 10 hectares Domaine was already on the slower pace with horses and tractor but the treatments applied were far from natural. In 2014 they converted everything to organic followed by biodynamic in 2015. They aim to produce a total of 15,000 bottles a year, a quantity which you can quickly calculate as not resonating with 10 hectares of vines. It’s because they keep the heart of every plot and sell the rest to local growers – négociants who are also practising biodynamics. All the Sandrin wines are vinified in stainless steel. They want the terroir to be able to breathe/to be expressed, avoiding any oak patina.
Grape Varieties: 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Blanc Site Name(s): Le Bruyant Terroir: Deep kimmeridgian clay/limestone Surface Area: Less than half a hectare Exposure: Northern exposure at the base of the hillside Average Age of Vines: 34 years Altitude: 180 metres (10metres above l’Ource River) Vine Density: 7905/ha Vinification: Hand harvested grapes, direct pressing with minimal additions of sulphur. Natural malolactic fermentation takes place fully. No fining and no filtering. Ageing: Stainless steel vats for 8 months post fermentation. Aged for a further 36 months in bottle on lees before disgorgement. Disgorgement Date: 16/02/2023 Dosage: Zero Production (Btls): 690 Bottles
