* NEW in Portfolio * – The Electric Champagnes of Huré Frères (in-stock)

These dynamic brothers craft singular, exquisite champagnes that are catching the attention of aficionados everywhere. These electric beauties have now landed and are available in-stock, ready to please. Limited quantities only.
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NEW IN PORTFOLIO • IN STOCK

Huré Frères

Sensational high-voltage terroir champagnes from the heart of the Montagne de Reims

Pierre (left) and François Huré (right) of Champagne Huré Frères

It’s always a pleasure to discover a new champagne producer and this one seems worthy of attention . .
— Jancis Robinson

Huré’s champagnes are generous and ample in flavor, and under François Huré’s guidance they have steadily acquired a greater precision and focus. They seem to reflect the brothers’ conscientious work in the vineyards, with a resonant energy and greater dimension apparent in recent releases . .
— Peter Liem

Energy. Every special wine has it. It’s the one quality that takes hold of the drinker at the moment of contact. If the wine has energy, the drinker experiences the bliss of invigoration, instantly.

Then there is Harmony, the metaphorical glue that binds all the wonderful qualities of the wine in a tranquil rapport, enabling the wine to penetrate our senses without force. Harmony exists in every beautiful wine.

Rarely do these two elements come together, but when they do so as perceptibly as in the exquisitely crafted champagnes by the Huré brothers (Huré Frères), you know you are entering a very unique vinous realm.

As the story goes, Georges Huré rather reluctantly founded the estate in 1960 in the premier cru village of Ludes, to realise the enduring dreams of his wife Jeanne. The name Huré Frères eventually came about in 1971 when Georges passed on management of his domaine to his three sons — Jean-Marie, Marc and Raoul.

It was Raoul Huré who established the business as a dedicated grower-producer, starting out with just 2 hectares of vines. Although the namesake domaine was started together with his brothers, only Raoul persisted, growing the domaine to where it is today.

Raoul’s son, François Huré, has been in charge of the estate since 2008, following the completion of his studies and practical experience at a number of wineries around the world. François had grown up around the vineyard and the winery and so this career represents a natural progression for him. He had fallen in love with Burgundy while obtaining his oenology degree in Dijon and became fascinated with biodynamics while working with Jean-Pierre Fleury. He traveled farther afield to gain more experience too, exploring the vineyards of Australia and New Zealand. These experiences helped him to understand the inherent strengths of both New and Old World wine regions: the traditional farming and respect for terroir of the former and the efficient modern techniques of the latter.

Pierre Huré, François’ younger brother, has always been passionate about life in the vines. After graduating from the school of Viticulture and Oenology in Beaune, he accumulated experiences working in different wineries in France and New Zealand, closely following his brother’s model of apprenticeship, before joining François at the estate in 2013.

François_(left)_and_Pierre_(right)_Huré_(photo:_Becky_Wasserman)

While the brothers collaborate in every aspect of Champagne production, François (left) performs the duty of oenologist while Pierre’s (right) main role is in managing the vineyards

The domaine’s vineyard holdings cover 10 hectares divided among the villages of Ludes, Villedomange, Brouillet, Serzy, Prin and Vavray. The Hurés also purchase some Chardonnay from 1.5 ha in Rilly-la-Montagne and Villers-Marmery to further their quest to express the noble terroirs of the Montagne de Reims.

Viticulture is at the heart of the brothers’ work. The family began to eliminate herbicides in 2006 and then started to adopt biodynamic methods. They are committed to using environmentally sustainable farming practices which includes organic composts, minimal tillage of the soil, maintenance of natural groundcover, and meticulous thinning of the plants and canopy management. Vineyard work is customised to suit the needs of each individual parcel, a principle François learned while working in Burgundy. The brothers maintain control over farming and picking of the contracted parcels as well.

In the cellar the Huré brothers aim to bring the best out of each plot, using a mix of steel tanks, large oak foudres and small oak barrels. Each parcel is always vinified separately and kept apart until the final blending, with an increasing number of parcels fermented in oak barrels of various sizes — from 228-litre barriques to 600-litre demi-muids. Fermentation is conducted using natural yeast and wines are kept on lees for long periods of time. No bâtonnage is used for any of the wines in barrel, and none of the barrel-fermented wines go through malolactic: Huré, in fact, has been decreasing the use of malolactic over the last decade, and today only a minor portion of the production goes through malo.

The brothers diligently maintain their stock of reserve wines, which they say forms the “memory of the winery”. These reserves, stored in oak vats and in tanks, are blended with the wines from each harvest using the solera process. These wines are used primarily for the reserve blend of “L’Invitation”. The ageing of Huré’s champagnes on the lees is individually tailored according to each cuvée. The goal is to ensure that each Champagne will always be ready to drink when it is released. That being said though, it is important to bear in mind that these are champagnes with serious stuffing — with Huré Frères champagnes, early drinkability and ageability are not mutually exclusive attributes.

François_and_Pierre_Huré_the_dynamic_duo

François_and_Pierre_Huré_the_dynamic_duo

We are super thrilled to offer to you today the full collection of our newly landed Champagne Huré Frères. These are electric champagnes with off-the-charts focus and articulation. Their energy is almost cathartic, delivering layer upon layer of exquisite flavours and cleansing mineral tones all beautifully arranged in one seamless package.

This may still be an under-the-radar domaine, but our hunch tells us that they are arriving at a breakout moment now. We see brilliance and astuteness in the expression of each of these Champagnes. Every cuvée exists for a clear reason and is expressed distinctively with emphatic elegance. These stunners absolutely should not be missed.

This offer is valid until 25 June 2020. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Some wines have restrictive supplies, so please understand that we may have to allocate them in order to ensure as equitable a distribution as possible. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice is sent in order to confirm the purchase. All terms and conditions apply.

References:
- Champagne Huré Frères’ website
- Peter Liem’s ChampagneGuide.net website
- Becky Wasserman’s website

The Offer

- OFFER VALID ONLY UNTIL 25 JUNE 2020
- PRICES ARE QUOTED NETT in SGD
- SUBJECT TO FINAL WRITTEN CONFIRMATIOn

** LABEL PHOTOS MAY NOT REFLECT ACTUAL VINTAGE **

L’Invitation Brut (base-2016)

S$ 70 / 750 ml for 3-bottles or more
S$ 74 / 750 ml
S$ 160 / 1,500 ml – Magnum (base-2017)

120 bottles + 12 MAGNUMS

Blended from all of the estate’s terroirs and made up of a similar varietal proportion as the vineyards: 40% meunier, 40% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay. Forty percent of the blend is reserve wine, which is stored in a perpetual cuvée that dates back to 1982. Aged for 3 years on lees. Dosage is ~ 5g/L.

“I want it to be an accessible champagne. Not a simple wine, but one to be enjoyed.” François Huré
“Based in Ludes on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims, this producer's nonvintage Brut is cool, crisp and dry. Fruity with attractive apple and white stone fruit flavors, it boasts taut, citrusy acidity and can be drunk now.” Roger Voss

L’Insouciance Rosé Brut (base-2017)

S$ 76 / 750 ml for 3-bottles or more
S$ 80 / 750 ml

84 bottles

Typically a blend of about 40% pinot noir, 30% meunier and 30% chardonnay, with one-third made up of reserve wine and just 4-5% of red wine from old vines in Ludes, which imparts colour without overpowering the blend.

“I wanted a rosé with a proper identity, not just a pink non-vintage. We want an uplifted style of rosé, something delicate and elegant.” François Huré
[2016:] “This elegantly refined rosé is a blend of 40 percent pinot noir, 30 percent meunier and 30 percent chardonnay, with five percent of red wine imparting a delicate hue. It’s subtle and fragrant, its vibrant red fruit feeling delicate and deftly poised while also demonstrating substance and depth. Its balance is superb, giving it a lovely tension and long, focused flavors, and it feels harmonious and complete even at this young age.” Peter Liem

L’Instantanée Extra Brut 2012

S$ 78 / 750 ml for 3-bottles or more
S$ 83 / 750 ml

60 bottles

The primary vintage cuvée of the domaine, made in every vintage since 1995. Its varietal composition changes according to the conditions of each vintage, as it’s intended to be a snapshot of that year, and it typically comes from a selection of vineyards in Ludes, Villedommange, Rilly-La-Montagne and Brouillet that always yield highly concentrated wines.

“The wine is a combination of elegance and wealth, and is ideal for those who love champagne and gastronomy.” François Huré
“With a hazelnut, white pepper and spice bouquet, this cuvée is taut, medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with a citrusy finish.” Decanter

Hure_Freres_L'Inattendue_Blanc-de-Blancs

L’Inattendue Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2015

S$ 90 / 750 ml

48 bottles

A terroir-specific blanc de blancs, intended to be an expression of the Montagne de Reims: half of it comes from Les Sentiers in Ludes, a parcel of sandy clay and loam, while the other half is from Les Blanches Voies in Rilly-la-Montagne, a south-facing, intensely chalky site that’s known as the source of Vilmart’s Coeur de Cuvée. It’s vintage-dated, released after four to five years on lees and dosed as an extra brut.

[2013:] “Half of this is chardonnay from Les Sentiers in Ludes, which lies on sandy clay and loam, while the other half comes from the chalky Blanches Voies vineyard in Rilly-la-Montagne. Its character is much more reflective of place than of variety, with the ample body of the Montagne de Reims and dark, almost black-fruit notes unusual for chardonnay. It’s long and sleek, feeling racy without being austere, and it finishes with succulent, pure flavors and a lively tension, strongly marked by chalky salinity.” Peter Liem

Memoire Extra Brut (2015)

S$ 112 / 750 ml

48 bottles

A unique cuvée made exclusively from the family’s perpetual cuvée of reserve wine that was initiated in 1982. The reserves for Mémoire are stored in foudre: 25 to 30 percent of the total is removed for bottling each year, and this is replaced not by new wine, but by the reserves stored in tank, which maintains a high average age of the blend.

[2014:] “This comes from a perpetual cuvée started in 1982, stored in foudre, and today it contains roughly equal parts pinot noir and meunier. It’s generous in body and mouthfilling in flavor, showing a savory complexity imparted by the older wines without being heavy or overly mature. Indeed, even though the youngest vintage in the blend (2014) represents just 10 percent of the total, this demonstrates a fine balance between lively, primary fruit and a developed maturity, feeling vibrant and focused through the long finish.” Peter Liem

The “4 Éléments” Cuvées

form a single-vineyard mono-cépage series that represents the brothers’ ambition to express a precise, faithful and uncompromising view of each terroir. The four elements represented are:
Vineyard, Variety, Vintage and Vinification.

4 Éléments – Pinot Meunier 2015

S$ 126 / 750 ml

24 bottles

Meunier from a single parcel, La Grosse Pierre in Ludes, planted in 1963. The vineyard is covered by very fine layer of clay that sits directly on chalk. Fermented in 600-litre oak barrels without malolactic and then aged under cork.

[2014:] “Huré’s vines in La Grosse Pierre in Ludes were planted in 1963, and they produce a vivid, energetic wine, marked by the parcel’s chalky clay soils. This is a bold, resonant wine, showing a sappy depth of fruit, yet it also demonstrates a notable finesse, persisting on the finish with excellent length and vivacity. It feels harmonious and complete, and highly distinctive in its expression of meunier.” Peter Liem

4 Éléments – Pinot Noir 2015

S$ 126 / 750 ml

24 bottles

From La Perthe in Ludes, an east-facing parcel on sandy clay and loam that was planted in 1983. Fermented in 600-litre oak barrels without malolactic and then aged under cork.

[2014:] “The vineyard of La Perthe in Ludes is a cool, late-ripening site, with a lot of wind, and these conditions are reflected in this wine’s tense structure and elongated shape. Its red-fruit flavors are sleek and lively, underlined by darkly savory, umami tones, yet they also conceal a subtle concentration and depth, promising to unfold further with time. This is a fascinating wine, and one that is driven much more by its expression of place than by its grape variety.” Peter Liem

4 Éléments – Chardonnay 2015

S$ 126 / 750 ml

24 bottles

A pure chardonnay from Les Blanches Voies in Rilly-la-Montagne, planted in 1964. The vineyard consists of pure chalk and is planted with a southerly exposition. It is considered by many as the finest in Rilly. Fermented in 600-litre oak barrels without malolactic and then aged under cork.

[2014:] “This comes from Les Blanches Voies in Rilly-la-Montagne, and according to François Huré, it’s a site that consistently produces wines with a reductive character. That’s certainly the case with this one, which feels like Meursault in its combination of rich texture and flinty restraint. It’s deep in tone, with a concentrated and tightly wound core of fruit, and its lack of malolactic gives it a vivid tension and finesse. Compared to Huré’s other 4 Elements wines from this vintage, this chardonnay is more closed and in need of time, yet it’s highly distinctive in character and reflective of place, and it promises to develop superbly well.” Peter Liem

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Prices are quoted nett in Singapore Dollars (SGD), ex-Singapore, valid until 25 June 2020.
Prices are for single bottle size (750 ML) unless otherwise specified. Please note there are magnums (1.5 L) in the offer too.
Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation.
Full payment must be made no later than 7 days after invoice date to confirm the order. We reserve the right to redistribute wines ordered not honoured by timely payment or sufficient mutually agreeable notice.
This offer is non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and/or promotions.
Wines sold are not returnable.
Delivery fee is waived for purchases over S$280 nett in a single receipt to a single Singapore address. Otherwise S$25 delivery fee (or S$15 for purchases of 3-bottles or below) per address applies. These rates are valid only during the COVID-19 circuit breaker period and Phase One (“Safe Opening”).
Order(s) are to be collected/delivered within 1 month upon completion of sale. Failure to take delivery / collect goods will result in storage fees being charged to your account.

ARTISAN CELLARS JUNE 2020 WINE LIST
This list outlines a compilation of artisanal wines that we carry. We take pride in the sourcing and provenance of our wines, from the most affordable to the higher ends. As importers, most of our wines come direct from the estates. We are proud to work with the most respected growers from every wine region, each of them representing the very best that their respective appellation is capable of producing. To augment our list, we occasionally include quality wines from only impeccable sources. Regardless of point of origin, we are always committed to shipping and storing them in ideal cellar conditions. Please email us at sales@artisan-cellars.com or call us at +65 6838 0373 to enquire about exact availability of wines, or to find out anything you wish to know about our wines.

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390 Orchard Road
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Singapore 238871
t    +65 6838 0373
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