Chartogne-Taillet Hors Serie Grand Cru (V18) Extra Brut Champagne

Chartogne-Taillet is the home of some of the most exciting wines in Champagne. Alexandre Chartogne is a perfectionist in his approach to viticulture and winemaking, something he picked up from his mentor Anselme Selosse. Key to his approach is the importance of expressing terroir above all else. With that in mind, Alexandre separately vinifies a myriad of plots spread across 11 hectares of vineyards in Merfy and the neighbouring villages of Chenay and Saint-Thierry. Over half the parcels are ploughed by horse, and no pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are used. In the winery, all fermentations are wild, and malolactic fermentation is not blocked. Alexandre favours wooden barrels or demi-muids for fermentations, and low dosage levels are used which allow the grapes to speak of their place.

Unlike the main stable of Merfy-sourced wines, this is grown on a cadre of plots in Avize and Oger in the Côte des Blancs. The patchwork of seven plots, located on both the plains and the slopes, contributes to the overall harmony. Chemin de Châlons, Pierre Vaudon, Fosse le Prêtre and Mont Chenevaux, located on the plain, have plenty of sun exposure and a chalky soil profile with very thin (20cm) topsoils. Mont de Cramant is located at the beginning of the slopes, with deeper soils that are likewise rich in chalk. Les Roches Hautes and Les Barmonts are higher again and experience cooler conditions, resulting in taut, linear wines. The wines rests in 228-, 350- and 600-litre barrels before maturing on lees for 4-5 years and receiving a dosage of 1-3 g/L.

Other Reviews....
The 2018 Extra-Brut Hors Série is 100% Chardonnay from villages in the Côtes des Blancs. Aromatic and expressive, the Hors Série also shows all the textural intensity and nuance that are such house signatures here. I find the 2018 a bit less defined and articulate than the other wines in this tasting. Floral, citrus, almond and orchard notes are nicely amplified. There's a touch more oak influence in the Hors Série, which also suggests a somewhat intrinsically lighter wine. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 2023. Drink 2025-2033.
94 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous