From: Côte des Bar, Champagne, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste: This Champagne opens with inviting aromas of pear, melon, and honeysuckle, beautifully complemented by more complex notes of blood orange and chalky minerals. It is smooth and expansive on the palate, offering fresh orchard and red fruit flavors with an exotic hint of jasmine. A creamy mousse and firm structure provide a foundation for acacia, quince, roasted almonds, and spice, giving the wine a toasty character. The finish is refreshingly bitter, with a substantial mineral edge, adding lift and focus, though it remains modest in length.
Pairing: For a classic regional approach, try it with Chaource cheese, a creamy cow's milk cheese from the Champagne region, whose rich texture complements the wine’s acidity. Another excellent match is oysters Rockefeller, where the salinity of the oysters enhances the mineral edge while the wine’s acidity and minerality cut through the buttery topping, providing balance and freshness. Lastly, Coq au Champagne, a local twist on the classic French dish, marries the depth of the wine with tender chicken and creamy sauce.
For a more modern pairing, explore the versatility of this Champagne with sushi, where the wine’s brightness cuts through the richness of fatty tuna or salmon. Grilled scallops with a citrus beurre blanc highlight the wine’s orchard and citrus flavors. For a vegetarian option, roasted cauliflower with tahini and pomegranate offers an exotic, textural contrast to the bubbly's toasty, nutty notes. Duck confit with pear glaze would beautifully echo the wine’s pear and quince flavors, while truffle fries elevate the Champagne’s luxurious, creamy mousse and firm structure with every crispy bite.
Oysters Rockefeller
By Melissa Clark
About. In the heart of the Côte des Bar, the southernmost region of Champagne, Nathalie Falmet has built a reputation for producing distinct and elegant wines that reflect the terroir and her scientific precision. With a background in chemistry and enology, Falmet brings a thoughtful and highly technical approach to her work as a winegrower in the village of Rouvres-les-Vignes, where she tends her 3.4-hectare vineyard.
Nathalie Falmet's journey to becoming a celebrated champagne producer began far from the vineyards. After studying chemistry at Paris XI and graduating with a degree in enology from Reims in 1993, she returned to the family estate in the Côte des Bar. Taking over the reins of the vineyard was both a personal and professional decision, as it allowed her to merge her scientific expertise with her deep connection to the land. Today, Falmet splits her time between winemaking and consulting in enology, a dual role ensuring her wines are crafted with innovation and tradition in mind.
Falmet’s vineyard is rooted in the rich Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils, a geological layer that defines much of the Côte des Bar. These ancient soils underpin Burgundy and Chablis and give her champagnes a unique minerality and depth. The diversity of her plots allows her to explore different expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the three primary grapes of Champagne.
Falmet practices sustainable viticulture, a method that respects both the environment and the grapes. She emphasizes minimal intervention in the vineyard, allowing nature to dictate much of the process. "My philosophy of growing the vines, vinification, and winemaking is, of course, the healthiest, as far as the respect of nature is concerned, but it also leads to a purity and unmatched quality of wine," she explains. By promoting biodiversity in her vineyard and eschewing chemical treatments, Falmet ensures that her grapes fully express the nuances of their terroir.
What sets Nathalie Falmet apart from many other regional producers is her hands-on approach in the vineyard and the cellar. She meticulously manages every aspect of her small production, ensuring that each bottle reflects her dedication to quality and singularity. The result is a range of champagnes that appeal to connoisseurs seeking wines with a sense of place and identity.
Her champagnes are crafted using traditional methods but with a modern sensibility. Falmet employs both stainless steel tanks and oak barrels for fermentation, allowing her to play with texture and complexity in her wines. The balance she achieves between fruit, acidity, and structure is a testament to her skill as a winemaker. Her cuvées, whether Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs, or rosé, showcase the typicity of her vines, the soil, and her precise vinification techniques.
For Falmet, the winemaker's role is inextricably linked to the land they work on and the wine they produce. "In my opinion, the typicality of a wine is nothing more than the combination of a soil type, a microclimate, a plant, and a man," she says. This philosophy informs every decision she makes, from the vineyard to the cellar, and underscores her commitment to crafting wines that speak to their origins.
Her champagnes are not made for mass distribution but for oenophiles who appreciate the nuances and subtleties of a minor, thoughtful production. "I work in sustainable farming, with a small production. The goal is to place my wines in networks where the clientele is oenophile and confidential, to give the wine its dimension of singularity and exception," Falmet notes. This dedication to creating exceptional, limited-edition champagnes has earned her a loyal following among wine enthusiasts.
