2008 Marie Courtin Extra Brut Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs

A few months ago, I was having lunch at Le Bernardin, one of New York's finest and most elegant restaurants, and I was served a glass of Marie-Courtin Champagne. The wine was so vivid. It took me back to my tasting at the winery the year before. I couldn't help but notice how a wine of such agrarian and simple – in the very best sense of the word – was so at home in such an elegant restaurant. Pinot Noir takes on racy contours in the 2008 Extra Brut Efflorescence. Still quite taut, the 2008 is all about focus. From time to time the breadth of the Pinot comes through, but it is the wine's sheer vibrancy that seems to speak most. This is a fabulous showing.

The 2008 Extra Brut Efflorescence captures the house style at its finest. Here the cooler vintage brings out considerable tension in the Pinot Noir. The 2008 boasts serious energy, precision and lift all the way through to the intensely taut, saline-infused finish. Today, minerality, acidity and structure are very much present, while the Pinot is felt mostly in the wine’s weight and texture rather than in the aromas and flavors. I imagine the 2008 will develop more complexity in bottle, even though it will always be distinguished for its razor-like focus. The 2008 Efflorescence is one of the most distinctive Champagnes I tasted this year. This is another great showing from Dominique Morneau. Disgorged May 2012. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Proprietress Dominique Morneau embodies all of the qualities of the artisan approach in Champagne. Hers are some of the most adventurous, cutting edges Champagnes readers will come across. Biodynamic farming, the use of natural yeasts, and low or no dosage are some of the elements that inform these wines. Above all else, the Marie-Courtin Champagnes are made with meticulously grown fruit that makes the above possible. Readers who want to explore the outer boundaries of Champagne should pay close attention to this tiny, emerging estate in the Cote des Bars, a previously under the radar part of the region that continues to produced a bevy of compelling wines. A Thomas Calder Selection, imported by: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Galaxy Wine Company, Portland, (OR); tel. (503) 248-9493, Cream Wine Company, Chicago, (IL); tel. (312) 421-1900

The 2008 Extra Brut Efflorescence captures the house style at its finest. Here the cooler vintage brings out considerable tension in the Pinot Noir. The 2008 boasts serious energy, precision and lift all the way through to the intensely taut, saline-infused finish. Today, minerality, acidity and structure are very much present, while the Pinot is felt mostly in the wine's weight and texture rather than in the aromas and flavors. I imagine the 2008 will develop more complexity in bottle, even though it will always be distinguished for its razor-like focus. The 2008 Efflorescence is one of the most distinctive Champagnes I tasted this year. This is another great showing from Dominique Morneau. Disgorged May 2012.