Barons de Rothschild : Brut Nature

I love the white flowers, lemon cream and just a hint of toast here. A seriously structured wine with a firm core and quite some salinity. Lots of dried herbs at the end. Impressive balance at the surprisingly long finish. 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir including 40% reserve wines from a perpetual solera. Drink now.

The NV Brut Nature blends 60% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and 40% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims, using 40% wines from a perpetual reserve. A lovely fresh scent of ripe yellow apple flesh blends with sponge cake on the appetizing supple nose. Fine bubbles foam on the palate, underlining the purity and poise of this wine, with its Chardonnay elegance and Pinot structure. Smooth autolysis portrays lemon-scented sponge cake with a slightly chalky backdrop and smoky overtones that move into a flawless umami finish. An incredibly classy and pure wine. No dosage. (Lot LS32L81V2) - Anne Krebiehl MW

Light golden yellow with silver reflections and a fine mousse. Ripe pome fruit, herbal notes, tropical fruit and some subtle notes of almond cookies and white flowers too. Yellow apple is to the fore on the palate, which is very taut with mineral-salty nuances and a long, juicy finish.

Light to medium deep golden with a fine and vivid mousse. Aromas of fresh butter, chalk, ripe citrus, Chardonnay-driven with some darker Pinot notes in the background with brioche and fresh butter. Good grip and freshness, bone dry with a bright acidity underneath; rather ripe fruit adds balance to the firm profile, finely creamy with some brioche and autolysis notes leading to a long and lingering finish.

A relatively new addition to the range, the NV Champagne Brut Nature is based on the 2018 vintage and is 70% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir, with 40% perpetual reserve wine in the blend. In the glass, it reveals a bright medium yellow color and is forward with yeasty aromas of bread dough, fresh orange, dusty earth, and melon. Medium-bodied and zesty on the palate, with a good deal of persistence, length, tension, and nerve, it remains a bit shy on the nose, but it has a zesty white peppery spice on the palate and a distinctly savory, food-friendly profile. With a frothy mousse, and a clean, lightly leesy finish, it will be best enjoyed over the coming 6-7 years.

Of all the Barons de Rothschild non-vintage wines, it's this zero-dosage that is perhaps the most impressive, not purely for its dryness, but for its exceptionally well-integrated palate, length and completeness. With flavours of Mirabelle plum, yellow raspberry, salty pastry and apricots in honey, it's medium-bodied and beautifully shaped, with refined length. There's some stony concentration of ripe fruit from chalky grand cru terroirs such as Le Mesnil, Avize and Ambonnay, and subtle richness from 10% oak vinification and reserve wine depth, all without any sensation of harshness without dosage. A fine effort based on the excellent 2019 vintage.