From: Champagne, France
Varietals: 30% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 5% Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau
Taste: Aubry makes a great case for Champagne’s historic varieties, which include little-known Petit Meslier, Arbanne, and Fromenteau. These grapes make up just five percent of the classic blend of Pinots Meunier and Noir with Chardonnay.
This elegant wine is copper-laden and snappy with a classic depth of minerality, light floral honey aromas, and dark notes of crackers, toasted bread, hints of mint, and pepper. Gracious, ethereal, and oh, so charming.
Pairing: Champagne and scallops are a match made in heaven, and this recipe for Buttery Scallops with Lemon and Herbs by Melissa Clark will play perfectly off the herbal notes in the wine. The sweet and acidic components of the dish are a nice complement to the floral and toasty components in the wine. Yields 4 servings.
About. Philippe and Pierre Aubry run their family estate in the Premier Cru village of Jouy-lès-Reims, located in the western part of the Montagne de Reims. The family traces its wine growing to 1790 and is well-known for growing ancient grape varieties still permitted in the Champagne AOC. Aubry’s wines are original and individual, representing flavors that fall outside the typical profile of Champagne.
“Proprietors Pierre and Philippe Aubry are twin brothers, although after a few visits it’s easy to tell them apart: Pierre says very little, and always seems to have a lit cigarette; while Philippe is garrulous and inquisitive, as interested in what you have to say about the wines as he is in showing them to you. In fact, the Aubrys have a little tasting notebook that they pull out every time they host visitors, and Philippe will ask you to describe all of the flavor associations that you find in the wines and fastidiously write them down.”—Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net
Pressing is done in traditional Coquard basket presses and vinification here is mostly in stainless steel, apart from the Chardonnay, which is vinified in wood for some cuvées. Due to the estate’s naturally high acidity, full malolactic fermentation is allowed in all cuvées; the brothers would prefer to have slightly lower acidity and be able to use a lower dosage. The Aubry brothers also grow all seven of the legal varieties for Champagne, something that they are well-known for. In addition to Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, they have Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Fromenteau (Pinot Gris), and Pinot Blanc planted. These varieties are used for several special cuvées as well as making up about 5% of the Brut sans année which is made with a perpetual reserve started in 1988. Pierre and Philippe also make a few wines in a Sablé style using about 16 grams for the liquor de tirage, rather than the normal 24 grams, resulting in a much lower pressure wine.
The brothers Aubry are iconoclastic, and experimental, and they produce strikingly singular wines. One of the most original estates in Champagne, Aubry Fils has 15 hectares of vines, 12 in Jouy and the nearby villages of Pargny-lès-Reims, Villedommange, and Coulommes-la-Montagne, all of which are classified as Premier Cru.
