CHAMPAGNE COESSENS LARGILLIER, Les Sens Boises Brut
In two words: powerful and spicy, says Jérôme Coessens. Coessens divides his 3.5ha monopol vineyard, Largillier, into four, roughly-equal parts, depending on the style of wine each plot produces. He has named them Mineral, Fruity, Flowery and Substance (meaning power or richness). The Largillier soils are combinations of clay and limestone, in varying proportions, as in nearby Chablis. The Largillier vineyard is in the town of Ville-sur-Arce, in the Côte des Bar region, in the far south-east of Champagne. Vineyards here have been in the Coessens family since the 1800s.
Les Sens Boisés (literally ‘Senses of Wood’) is 100% Pinot Noir from the Substance vineyard sector. It is matured on lees in five and six-year-old Chablis barrels and typically has a soft and silky-textured palate, following on from aromas of citrus (hints of marmalade), mirabelle plums and cinnamon spice notes. Les Sens Boisés is typically bold and assertive, with marked and refreshing minerality and a long finish. It is a complex wine that will match with a wide range of foods, especially strongly-flavoured cheeses. Recommended serving temperature is 12 deg C -- and in a large standard wine glass rather than a flute.
Very expressive aromas and flavors of yellow plums and nectarines with a fresh, silky and long palate. Attractive, velvety texture of pinot noir here.
93 points, jamessuckling.com (September 2018)
The NV Largillier Les Sens Boisés Brut is entirely based on the 2011 vintage, which developed very quickly in the vineyard but gains complexity with years in the bottle. Indeed, this Pinot Noir offers a clear, fresh and elegant nose with a touch of oak. It is pretty round and intense on the palate and reveals some fine tannins from five-year-old pièces (from Chablis). It is pure and fresh but still too oaky and sweet for my personal taste.
90 points, Wine Advocate, September 2018
Located 150 km east of Paris, Champagne is the French wine region renowned for producing the finest, most rich and complex sparkling wines in the world. The elegance, longevity and racy acidity of these wines are attributed to the influence of the chalky soils of the region and the cool, marginal continental climate. The region spans an area of 35,000 ha and has 4 main growing areas, each favouring one of the three noble Champagne varieties; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Champagne has a vineyard quality hierarchy based on the soils, aspect and overall quality of the grapes. Like Burgundy, these quality designations are allocated to the vineyards of the village. Of the 319 villages of Champagne, 17 have Grand Cru status and 44 villages are designated Premier Cru. All Champagne is produced by Traditional Method. The vast majority of Champagne is a blend of the three varieties and may also be a blend of several vintages producing the popular Non Vintage (NV) house styles. Top quality blends from exceptional years are sold as Vintage (Millésime) Champagne.
