Champagne brut nature Reliance

The NV Brut Nature Reliance is a blend of 80% Pinot Meunier with 16% Pinot Noir and 4% Chardonnay based on the vintages 2011 (90%) and 2010 (10%). With intense yellow-fleshed fruit and sweet cherry aromas with spicy and vinous flavors, this is a lean yet very complex, long, firmly structured and elegant Champagne with a long, intense yet still a bit austere and very tensioned finish. It probably needs some time to gain more finesse, but the potential is enormous. This should be great with food, especially raw fish and even matured cheese. Disgorged in June 2016; tasted April 2018.

Franck Pascal is a former industrial mechanical engineer with agricultural roots who studied viticulture and oenology to become one of the most interesting artisanal Champagne growers in the Vallée de la Marne. He cultivates a highly fragmented seven hectares of vineyards and has followed biodynamic practices since 2002 (certified by Biodyvin in 2005). Franck harvests 60% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, predominantly grown on clay and hard limestone but also silex. Several, especially the steep plots and newly acquired parcels with younger vines, are cultivated by horse. The yields are kept low, and for the vinification (in old wooden vats), only indigenous yeasts are used. The resulting cuvées from Franck Pascal are always dry (disgorged as Brut Nature or Extra Brut), pure, bright, highly finessed and mineral. The annual production is 50,000 bottles. One of the highlights I tasted from the current releases is the 2010 Blanc de Noirs Harmonie, the NV Brut Nature Pacifiance and the NV Rosé Brut Tolérance (which is dosed as Extra Brut).

Published: Aug 31, 2018 by Stephan Reinhardt
* Bewertung eines abweichenden Jahrgangs.

"Der Champagner Franck Pascal Réliance Brut Nature, Jahrgang des Weinguts Champagne Franck Pascal wurde 2019 von Falstaff mit 93 Punkten bewertet. Es handelt sich um einen Wein der Rebsorten Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay aus der Region Champagne in Frankreich.

Mittleres Goldgelb, Silberreflexe, feines, lebendiges Mousseux. Frische weiße Apfelfrucht, zart mit nussigen Kräuteressenzen unterlegt, ein Hauch von Birne und Melisse. Stoffig, gute Komplexität, reife gelbe Frucht am Gaumen, feiner Säurebogen, hat Volumen, angenehme salzige Mineralität, bleibt gut haften, harmonisch und vielseitig einsetzbar. (Deg.10/7/2015)

Tasting vom 21.11.2019: Peter Moser"
* Bewertung eines abweichenden Jahrgangs.