Thiénot : Alain Thiénot 2012

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Alain Thiénot 2012 by Thiénot

Tasting

Colour

The colour is a beautiful golden yellow with lovely green highlights, hinting at a freshness that has been preserved despite the maturity of the vintage.

Nose

The nose reveals subtle notes of dried fruit, hazelnut and pistachio, accompanied by aromas of candied lemon with slightly buttery, brioche-like nuances.

Palate

The palate is generous and fresh, carried by a creamy mousse and a beautiful length. Notes of lemon just beginning to turn confit emerge, extended by subtle touches of menthol that bring a distinctive freshness to the finish.

A Champagne from Maison Thiénot, Balancing Citrus Freshness and Dried Fruit Notes

The estate

Founded in 1985 in Taissy, near Reims, the Champagne house Thiénot is a family-owned, independent house built by Alain Thiénot after twenty years of experience as a Champagne broker. Its vineyards now extend over 30 hectares of Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites, notably in Aÿ and the Côte des Blancs. Now run by Garance and Stanislas Thiénot, the founder's children, the house perpetuates a style built on elegant freshness, from its historic cellars in the heart of Reims.

The vineyard

The Thiénot vineyard extends over 30 hectares, divided between Grand Cru sites in the historic Grande Vallée at Aÿ and in the Côte des Blancs, as well as Premier Cru sites in Dizy, Cumières and on the slopes south of Épernay, in the heart of Champagne. The vineyard is managed according to a sustainable viticulture approach, certified VDC and Haute Valeur Environnementale, combined with a reasoned approach to vineyard treatments.

The vintage

The year 2012 is regarded as a renowned vintage in Champagne, allowing several vintage cuvées to be produced at Maison Thiénot. The grapes from this harvest offered a sufficiently rich and balanced base to support long cellar ageing.

Winemaking and ageing

From its very beginnings, Maison Thiénot chose a temperature-controlled stainless steel winery in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit during vinification. The Cuvée Alain Thiénot 2012 then benefits from extended bottle ageing in the cellars carved beneath the city of Reims, where vintage cuvées can rest for up to sixteen years, a time that shapes the texture and complexity of the wine.

Grape varieties

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.