Champagne J.M. Goulard La Charme Vendange

When Damien Goulard took operational control in 2012, he introduced oak barrels to the cellar — and La Charme became the expression that pushes that decision furthest: 100% Pinot Meunier, vinified and aged entirely in oak barrel, a configuration that almost no other Champagne house attempts with this variety. The fruit originates from the Massif de Saint-Thierry northwest of Reims, where sandy-clay soils over chalk at roughly 130 m elevation produce a leaner, more mineral register of Meunier than the heavier clay of the Marne Valley — the sand drains quickly, stressing the vine into concentration rather than generosity. Hand-harvested fruit is pressed in a traditional 4,000 kg Coquard basket press, cold-settled for ~12 hours, then fermented in stainless steel before transfer to oak for ageing; malolactic fermentation is completed, softening the appellation's inherent tension without erasing it. The wine rests a minimum of 3 years on lees in bottle before disgorgement, and is released at Extra Brut 4 g/L dosage — low enough that the oak and terroir carry the finish unmasked. The 2021 vintage, the first from Goulard's organically certified harvest, brings a cooler-season precision to the cuvée's structure. Drink now through 2030.