Vouette & Sorbée Fidèle Champagne Brut Nature R22

Bertrand Gautherot set out on the path of his project in 1993, working old family vineyards, and converting them to biodynamic cultivation in 1998. The name of the winery is composed of the names of the 2 main vineyards: Vouette on Kimmeridgian limestone (the parent rock that extends all the way to Chablis) and Sorbée on Portlandien soil (gray limestone). He cultivates a total of about 5 hectares and produces approximately 25,000 bottles per year.

Fidèle is one of Vouette & Sorbée’s most representative Champagnes, produced by Bertrand in Buxières-sur-Arce, Côte des Bar. It is a 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs, sourced from biodynamically farmed vineyards on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone soils, where the character of the terroir is expressed with great precision.

The grapes are harvested by hand, and pressing is slow and gentle using a vertical Coquard-style press. The must ferments with indigenous yeasts in 400-liter barrels, where malolactic fermentation also takes place. Aging on the lees lasts approximately 26 months, and the wine is disgorged without dosage (0 g/l), without clarification or filtration. This Fidèle R22 is made from the base wine of the 2022 vintage, with a disgorgement date of February 2025.

On the nose, it combines ripe red fruit, cherry, citrus, and mineral notes, with a dry, vinous, and taut palate marked by an elegant saline sensation. A deep, food-friendly Champagne that pairs especially well with oysters, shellfish, fish, poultry, and dishes featuring fresh, local ingredients.

A Champagne that can be enjoyed now, but which refines and improves substantially with years in the bottle!