From: Aube, Champagne, France
Blend: Pinot Noir
Taste: This gorgeously expressive Brut Nature from R. Dumont shows off a bright, light rose gold hue with aromas of wildflowers, field strawberries, and clean linen. These notes evolve into freshly picked raspberries, ripe persimmon, and just-baked toasty croissants, underscored with a distinctive Chablis-esque oceanic minerality. The palate follows suit and rides on an intensely elegant structure that features fresh red berries, grapefruit, kumquat, mandarin orange, and Meyer lemon zest with a lingering finish of toasty pastry and a saline minerality. This champagne’s balance between fruit, acid, and structure is noteworthy and impressive, and we’re thrilled to share it with you!
Pairing: Its bright acidity and clean finish pair wonderfully with fresh seafood, such as oysters, sushi, or a light seafood salad - try a macadamia-crusted halibut. The wine's complexity and minimalistic nature also complement dishes with subtle flavors, such as a classic chicken or vegetable terrine, pork tenderloin with fresh rosemary and lemon thyme, or fried foods like fish and chips, schnitzel, or even beignets. For those who enjoy cheese pairings, this Brut Nature Champagne can be beautifully matched with soft goat cheese, a mild brie, or other nutty cheeses, providing a lovely contrast to its crisp acidity. This Champagne is a superb choice for those who appreciate a drier style and is an excellent accompaniment to both delicate and flavorful culinary creations.
Roasted White Fish With Lemony Almondine
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About. Champagne Dumont is based in the village of Champignol-lez-Mondeville, in the southern Champagne region of the Aube, about 90 miles southeast of Reims and Epernay. The Dumont brothers have 23 hectares of vineyards in the Côte des Bar planted predominantly with Pinot Noir, but also with Chardonnay and other grape varieties. The Kimmeridgian chalky clay soils here are more similar to those in Chablis than the rest of Champagne. Bernard Dumont’s comments are insightful, “We grow grapes on the same soils as the vine growers in the Chablis region. There, they produce white wine from white grapes and here we produce white wine from red grapes.”
Aube - historically significant Champagne: The Aube region in Champagne, over an hour southwest of Champagne's traditional heartland, is marked by its medieval centerpiece, the city of Troyes, and the vine-rich Côte des Bars area. Its viticultural heritage was once more extensive than the Valle du Marne region's, but it faced significant challenges, notably during the pivotal "Champagne Wars" of 1911. This period saw intense debate and conflict over the definition of the Champagne region. Aube, initially classified as producing “Champagne deuxième zone,” or "second-class Champagne," was controversially excluded from the Champagne appellation, causing upheaval among local growers. This exclusion was a source of contention until 1927, when Aube was finally recognized as an integral part of the Champagne region.
Despite these historical struggles, Aube has cultivated a unique wine identity. The region is predominantly filled with grower-producers, a trend that emerged about 15 to 20 years ago when local grape growers and new vintners began to bottle their own Champagnes. These producers emphasize a terroir-centric approach, often favoring single-variety, single-vintage, and single-vineyard Champagnes. This philosophy contrasts with the blending traditions prevalent in other parts of Champagne.
Aube's terroir, especially in the Côte des Bars, is distinct due to its proximity to Burgundy. It shares the Kimmeridgian soils rich in clay and limestone, akin to those in Chablis. This terroir particularly suits Pinot Noir, a defining aspect of the Aube Champagne profile. They range in style from rich and opulent to soft and elegant to rustic and textured, reflecting the unique characteristics of this historically rich yet once-contested region.
Brut Nature Champagne, also known as Brut Zero, Ultra Brut, or Non-Dosé, represents a specific style of Champagne that is characterized by its lack of added sweetness or very low residual sugar content. The sweetness level of Champagne is determined by the dosage, which is a small amount of wine and sugar mixture added to the bottle after the second fermentation and aging. This step balances the acidity and adds a certain style or character to the Champagne.
In the case of Brut Nature Champagne, no dosage is added, or it's extremely minimal, making it the driest form of Champagne available. This lack of added sugar allows the pure expression of the Champagne's character and terroir to come through more prominently. It's worth noting that the natural sugars present in the grapes are almost completely fermented into alcohol, leaving less than 3 grams of residual sugar per liter, which is quite low compared to other styles.
This style of Champagne is known for its crispness and purity of flavor. It tends to have a higher acidity and a more pronounced minerality than its sweeter counterparts. The flavors can be more austere and complex, often revealing the subtle nuances of the grape and the influence of the terroir. Brut Nature Champagnes are appreciated by enthusiasts who enjoy a very dry wine and are interested in experiencing Champagne in its most unadulterated form.
