Well, they are slightly off-piste wines. Based on my experience on a few wines, they tend to be intriguing, but less “classic” Champagnes, so if you are looking something that fits snugly into the mold of typical Champagne, they might be a bit weird. However, if you like to keep your mind open, they can be pretty tasty bubblies.
I’ll just copypaste my TNs on the wines I’ve had here, so maybe that gives a better idea.
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NV Charles Dufour Champagne Bulles de Comptoir #4 Vinorama - France, Champagne (21.3.2016)
A biodynamic Champagne that is a blend of Pinot Noir (55%), Chardonnay (35%) and Pinot Blanc (10%). Fermented spontaneously, aged in an old Bourgogne oak barrel. Bottled in October 2014, disgorged in January 2016.
Pale lemony yellow color. Ripe, sweet-toned and slightly wild nose with aromas of sweet toffee oak, some sappy herbal green tones, a little bit of crunchy gooseberry, light sour cherry tones and a hint of ripe kiwi. The wine is crisp, youthful and bone-dry on the palate with quite light body and racy flavors of sappy herbal greenness, tart green apples, some sweeter toasty oak notes, a little bit of ripe golden apple, light bitter notes of grapefruit pith, a hint of buttery richness and a touch of cookie dough. The bracing acidity makes the wine quite nervous and lean with quite incisive structure. The finish is long, crisp and mineral with racy flavors of sappy herbal greenness, steely minerality, some buttery richness, a little bit of tart green apples and a hint of toasty and slightly nutty autolysis.
A somewhat weird and even slightly contradictory Champagne that combines oak-influenced richness to racy, bone-dry and slightly sappy green fruit. The wine manages to pull it all off quite well, but the overall style is a bit all over the place and still looking for focus. The overall style is almost painfully young, so most likely it will take some more years before the wine has found its balance. Interesting, but perhaps not that remarkable - nevertheless, good stuff with nice potential for future development. Priced according to its quality at 35€. (89 pts.)
Pale yellow-green color. Attractively sweet-toned and fine-tuned nose with aromas of apple jam, honeyed richness, perfumed floral tones, some peachy fruit, a little bit of apricot pit and, especially after some air, a wild, waxy hint - possibly a touch of brett here? The wine is pure, crisp and relatively light-bodied on the palate with lean, bone-dry taste that is contrasting the sweeter-toned nose quite noticeably. There are flavors of unripe white peach, yellow apple, some chalky minerality, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light waxy tones and a hint of something wild and funky. The wine is moderately high in acidity with very fine, quite persistent and pleasantly creamy mousse. Overall the wine is nicely lean, dry and crunchy for a Pinot Blanc with great sense of balance. The finish is somewhat wild and quite complex with slightly bretty tones of leather and somewhat waxy, chalky minerality, tangy green apples, some sweeter golden apples, a little bit of pithy grapefruit bitterness and a hint of sappy herbal greenness. The fruit tones fade away rather quickly, but the bitterness and funky tones persist for quite a while.
A very lovely, enjoyably distinctive and very balanced Pinot Blanc Champ that nicely ticks some of the natural wine boxes without coming across as too sauvage or excessively funky. A lovely effort and a prime example why Champagnes made from Pinot Blanc should be bone-dry: the variety is so ripe and fruity to boot, a higher dosage only makes the wine excessively fruity and masks some of the moderate acidity away. Priced according to its quality at 55€. (91 pts.)
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NV Charles Dufour Champagne Bulles de Comptoir #8 Stillleben - France, Champagne (28.5.2020)
A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc based on the 2017 vintage but including reserve wines from a cuvée perpetuelle including vintages 2010-2016. Bottled in October 2018, disgorged in March 2020. Extra Brut. 12% alcohol.
Medium-deep golden yellow color. Ripe, complex and pretty seductive nose with aromas of nutty autolysis, some bruised apple, a little bit of ripe stone fruits, light yeasty tones and a hint of poached pear. Has a quite vinous edge - probably due to the reserve wines here. The wine is ripe, dry and full-bodied on the palate with fresh, complex flavors of toasty autolysis and brioche, some yeasty tones, a little bit of ripe golden apples, light lemony citrus tones, a hint of creamy richness and a hint of stony minerality. Crisp but not aggressive mousse and rather high, balanced acidity. The finish is crisp and fresh with bright flavors of chalky minerality, some bready autolysis and a little bit of toast, light bruised apple tones, a tart hint of lemony citrus fruit and a sweeter touch of white peach.
A very tasty, harmonious and stylish Champagne with a surprisingly vinous, toasty edge given the relative youth of the wine - I guess the developed notes from the perpetual blend give the nutty complexity and illusion of pronounced autolysis here. It’s hard to say whether the wine will continue to improve from here, or if it is meant to be drunk rather soon, but at least it is drinking fantastically well given it is disgorged only two months ago. Fine stuff for people who enjoy bubblies from the toastier end of the spectrum. (92 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker