RENÉ GEOFFROY
CUMIÈRES
“...the premier cru village of Cumières probably has the sunniest slopes in the Marne Valley... René and Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy make the best Champagnes in the village.”
— Michael Edwards, THE FINEST WINES OF CHAMPAGNE
“One of the distinguishing elements of this estate is the bottling of undeclared single-vintage wines in the Empreinte, Volupté and Rosé bottlings, which means that these wines offer incredible quality for the money...”
— Antonio Galloni, THE WINE ADVOCATE
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The Geoffroy family are the village's preeminent growers and very conscientious, ever-improving winemakers, whose roots stretch back to the 17th century. The domaine owns 13 ha of vines, over 80 percent of which are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and the rest Chardonnay. This artisan domaine is a through-and-through recoltant-manipulant (or grower-producer), using 100% of what they grow to make wines: buying grapes from no one nor selling a single berry to anyone else.
Geoffroy’s oldest vines can be as old as 80-years. Viticulture is heavily aimed at sustainability, eschewing all chemical weedkillers and employing methods such as the planting of cover crops, tilling of the soil and the encouraged habitation of predatory insects to combat vine pests. Jean-Baptiste, who has now taken over from his father René, practices an eco-friendly viticulture that is close to organic but without the constraints which certification may impose.
Jean-Baptiste
(pictured, right) always performs a very rigorous selection
of grapes at harvest, going to the expense of hiring many
labourers whose primary responsibility is to weed out rotten
berries. Although this may sound commonplace, the practice
is in fact exceedingly rare in Champagne where the
mainstream mindset is to optimise yields and maximise
volume. Jean-Baptiste is ever the innovator, a kindred
spirit for the new generation of Champenois who are
determined to bring Champagne to new levels through
scrupulous viticulture and thoughtful cellar work. He is one
of the 17 progressive terroir-driven growers who put
together an annual tasting group called Terres et Vins de Champagne,
and who is well regarded amongst foremost champenois heroes
such as Léclapart, Lahaye, Pascal, Chartogne, Doquet
and Boulard.He is also a creative master blender, crafting an exciting array of cuvée of champagnes each of which has its own unique personality. Geoffroy vinifies all of his parcels separately in order to retain their individual identities and to provide as diverse a palette of wines as possible for blending his various champagne cuvées.
The wine is then fermented in oak although malolactic is intentionally avoided. What results from this is a natural richness of clean ripe fruits, balanced by the tension and precision of non-malolactic wines.
The more premium cuvées such as the Empreinte, Volupté as well as the vintage bottlings are all made from the coeur de cuvée, or the middle, most highly prized 1,800 litres of juice from a standard 2,550-liter pressing. The Empreinte is dedicated to showcase the terroir of Cumières using predominantly Pinot Noir, while Volupté is the counterpoint, showcasing the unique qualities of Cumière's chardonnay. Both these cuvées, although not labeled so, are essentially single-vintage champagnes. When asked why he does not vintage-date them, in spite of their composition and quality, Jean-Baptiste explains that he wants the vintage-labeled cuvée in his house to represent something truly exceptional. To this end, he worked on the Millésime quite differently too, ageing them on-lees on cork (not metal) caps and releasing them quite late in order to let the wine gain extra depth and complexity. As a case in point, the current vintage release is 2002, released nine years after vintage, an uncommonly long waiting time for a grower to release their vintage champagne.
Jean-Baptiste is especially proud of his rosés. In fact his Rosé de Saignée was one of the the most striking rosés we have tasted yet; the wine is charming, gregarious and exuberant, chock-full of berry-fruit goodness. Although very little is produced, this wine is wildly popular in France and more recently in the US, making it an instant and perennial sell-out each time he releases them.
It is also a privilege to be able to offer the utterly singular Blanc de Rose, an extra-brut rosé made by co-vinifying black and white grapes, a never seen before technique of making rosé. This cuvée is a counterpoint to the basic rosé bottling being drier, more minerally and vinous, and for fortunate few who have had the privilege of tasting it, there were only praises.
Geoffroy’s wines are bold, sumptuous and extroverted in personality. They show a generous depth of fruit, reflecting the warm growing conditions in this corner of the Marne Valley and they are eloquent spokespersons for the true taste of Cumières. (This premier cru village has long been an important yet often undeclared source of fruits for some of the world's most renowned champagnes.) At the same time, Geoffroy's champagnes never sacrifice fineness and complex elegance for expressive flavours. Although the wines are mostly released relatively young, it will be highly rewarding to put at least some of them away in the cellar to allow them to develop their full potential no matter how delicious they may appear be right now.
It is befitting to find Champagne René Geoffroy featured frequently and conspicuously in the wine list of top restaurants across Europe and the US. It is now beginning to make its presence felt in Asia as customers very quickly warm up to such delicious gems. These are vivacious bubblies which possess that instant joy-inducing quality Champagne is so famous for. In short: impossible not to like.
ARTISAN CELLARS is proud to be the exclusive representative of RENÉ GEOFFROY's iconic and characterful Champagne. In particular we are pleased to be able to secure the Blanc de Rose and the 2002 Millésime bottlings early enough this year as these are rarities which may disappear if one waits but for a day too long.
The champagnes have just landed in Singapore. The prices quoted below are valid for this offer period only. This offer will be confirmed on a first-come first-served basis, subject to availability and written confirmation.
“All wines recommended and the grower is better than ever.”
— Richard Juhlin
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EMPREINTE
Brut Premier CruS$75 / 750 ml for 6-pack
S$80 / 750 ml for 3-pack
S$86 / 750 ml
This cuvée is typically composed of around 80% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, while the rest are Chardonnay. It expresses the bold, joyous flavours of Cumières Pinot fruits.
“The NV Brut Empreinte offers up licorice, smoke, mint and dried apricots in an exotic, compelling style. There is wonderful richness and clarity to be found in the glass. The weight and sheer presence of the Pinot Noir is clearly felt on the palate, while cool mineral notes provide a wonderful foil to the wine’s silky texture.” WA 92 points
“The wine shows wonderful richness and body, with layers of fruit that continue to open up as the wine sits in the glass. A clean vein of underlying minerality leads to the pure finish.” ST 91 points
ROSÉ DE SAIGNÉE
Brut Premier CruS$85 / 750 ml for 3-pack
S$95 / 750 ml
“...cool, mineral and reserved, with tons of power to burn. This really needs another 6-12 months on the cork to recover from its relatively recent disgorgement, but is a jewel of a wine... The NV Brut Rose de Saignee is one of the finest roses readers are likely to come across in this style. The wine possesses dazzling concentration and depth in a silky expression of perfumed red berries. The balance is exceptional and the mousse is remarkably elegant.” WA 94 points
“Light orange. Spicy red berries, cherry skin and herbs on the nose, with complicating floral and spice nuances that pick up steam with air. Sappy and fresh, offering zesty redcurrant and blood orange flavors and a kick of peppery spice. Packs the punch of a red wine but this Champagne is impressively light on its feet and finishes with excellent clarityand tangy, mineral-driven cut.” ST 92 points
VOLUPTÉ Brut Premier CruS$95 / 750 ml for 3-pack
S$105 / 750 ml
Typically 75-80% Chardonnay, and the rest Pinot Noir. This is the most Chardonnay dominant cuvée in Geoffroy's stable, with the fruits coming from the best Chardonnay plantings in Les Chênes, La Montagne and Tourn-Midi single vineyards.
“Enticing aromas of sweet baking spices and woodsy scents, plus honey and ginger flavors, highlight this complex Champagne, which is full of low bass notes, yet is fresh, refined and generous on the vanilla-tinged finish.” WS 95 points
“Pale gold with an abundant mousse. Buttered toast, peach and vanilla on the nose, with suave floral and smoky mineral notes adding complexity. Chewy in texture, with sappy orchard and pit fruit flavors and refreshing mineral snap on the back. Impressively blends richness and energy on the long, clinging finish. This wine's impressive richness and power suggest that it would be a great match for a buttery shellfish or poultry dish.” ST 93 points
BLANC DE ROSE Rosé de
Saignée Extra
Brut Premier CruS$125 / 750 ml for 3-pack
S$140 / 750 ml
Less than 2,000 bts produced of this unique Champagne prepared by co-macerating Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes in roughly equal proportion. It is bottled as an extra brut, a rarity amongst rosés, in order to maximise its vinous expression.
“Vivid pink. Wild, pungent aromas of raspberry preserves, medicinal cherry, herbs and potpourri, with a hint of licorice. Penetrating, deeply pitched red fruit flavors show a sappy quality and a bitter edge that brings Campari to mind. Chewy and precise, with strong finishing thrust and lingering spice and floral nuances. This singular Champagne could handle strongly flavored foods...” ST 93 points
“The NV Extra Brut Rose de Saignee Blanc de Rose is a bit of a quirky wine, but one that deserves attention. Deceptively medium in body, this vinous Champagne flows with layers of rose petals, flowers and intensely perfumed candied cherries. The nuanced finish lends a further air of intrigue.” WA 93 points
2002 MILLÉSIME Extra
Brut Premier CruS$135 / 750 ml for 3-pack
S$150 / 750 ml
Geoffroy's most exacting selection of the best fruits of the year goes into his vintage bottling, made only in truly exceptional years. The wine stays very long on the lees, typically 7-8 years, before it is finally released. With such full-bodied complexity, it is bottled as extra brut, as the richness of the wine needs but a minor dash of dosage. A no-cosmetic, pedigreed vintage wine, and 2002 is already remembered as one of the most lauded vintages of this decade.
“30% PN and 70% Chardonnay, all done in cask, no malo, no cold-stabilizing, no filtration, one fining. I have to say this is the best bone-dry Champagne I’ve tasted; it has a tremendous swell of inside-sweetness; it’s an overall crescendo in fact, of authority and delineation, of solid yet slippery length; very sweet brioche, and San Daniele prosciutto over a silvery gurgle of spring-water freshness... Now it’s a year later and the wine was bottled with 2 g.l. RS. It’s as profound as a very dry wood-aged Chamnpagne can be; ...magnificently smoky, mossy, sorrel-y; it tastes like the label looks – platinum on black, without the “coloring” of sweetness.” Terry Theise
1. Prices are quoted nett in Singapore Dollars (SGD), ex-cellar Singapore, valid until 7 November 2011.
2. Prices are for single bottle size 750 ML unless otherwise stated.
3. Wines will be confirmed on a first-come first-served basis, subject to availability and written confirmation.
4. Full payment must be made to secure the order.
5. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and/or promotions.
6. Wines sold are not returnable.
7. Delivery is included for purchases amounting to S$500 and above to a single Singapore address. Please allow a few days to arrange delivery.
390 Orchard Road
B1-01 Palais Renaissance
Singapore 238871
t +65 6838 0373
f +65 6836 0036
e sales@artisan-cellars.com
w www.artisan-cellars.com