Céline & Laurent Tripoz Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Nature NV

100% Chardonnay

Biodynamic

Burgundy, France

From the importer-

Made from 100% Chardonnay with zero dosage, this wine spends a full 27 months on the lees before disgorgement. The result is a broad and powerful wine with tropical fruit, green apple, pineapple stalk, orange peel, and a hint of spearmint and lime blossom on the nose. The palate is rich and lush with mango, mandarin orange, and a hint of spicy green walnut coming forward, balanced by a dense mineral core. In fact, it actually reminds me of some of my favorite Champagnes (but for half the price). Céline and Laurent don’t make much of this wine and we are thrilled to have it in magnum size! An elegant but no-fuss wine that should always have a place on your dinner table or at your New Year's Eve party, it would pair well with creamy poultry dishes, whole-roasted fish, or soft, tangy cheeses.

In 1986, with only 1.5 hectares to their name and no experience to speak of, Céline and Laurent Tripoz began to farm Chardonnay, and shortly after, Aligoté. After years of selling to the local co-op and being disappointed by the result, in 2000 they decided to split, and started making the conversion to organics and biodynamics (now Demeter and Ecocert certified). The expensive decision for the small winery, which was already struggling, was surprisingly easy; they investigated the quality of the soils in their vineyards, which looked like they had been napalmed, and knew that soon their own children would be working alongside them in the vineyards, and they were horrified. The wine is all hand harvested and fermented in a mixture of old wood and stainless steel using indigenous yeast. Celine and Laurent are born into wine and their passion for good winemaking and conscious viticulture has made them key players in the region.

All the Tripoz vineyards are in or just outside of Loché, where the cellar is located. On eastern exposure, in clay loaded with limestone, the Tripoz believe that the only way to get a sense of terroir in their wine is to work in the most natural manner.  "The Maconnais is not blessed with the great terroirs of northern Burgundy, we have to work harder to get good wines here," Laurent says.