Emilien Feneuil Coteaux Champenois Blanc Les Ruisseaux 2020

Emilien Feneuil Coteaux Champenois Blanc Les Ruisseaux is a still white made under the AOC Coteaux Champenois from Pinot Meunier, a red grape here vinified as a white wine. This is a still, not sparkling, expression of Champagne fruit, farmed biodynamically. The vines grow on the chalk soils typical of the region, which drain freely, stay cool and give the wine its bright acidity and stony, saline character. Vinifying a dark-skinned grape without skin contact keeps the wine pale while retaining the red-fruited edge and gentle weight that Pinot Meunier brings. The 2020 spends 24 months in oak barrels, a long élevage in which slow oxygen exchange and extended lees contact build texture, round off the acidity and add toasted, nutty complexity. In the glass it is a pale gold, with white peach, pear and a faint red-currant note on the nose leading into hazelnut, toasted bread, vanilla and fresh dough from the wood and lees. The palate is dry and textured, the barrel richness kept in check by a firm chalk-driven line, finishing long and mineral. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a full white glass.