Description & elaboration
The Grand Cru Chouilly 1996 cuvée from Lenoble is a vintage from the Côte des Blancs. This is a champagne with notes of candied orange, rose, and toasted brioche, revealing over the years a complex tertiary dimension. On the palate, the texture is sapid and taut, ideal alongside a gastronomic dinner. Anne and Antoine Malassagne have crafted here a rare edition, shaped with quiet exacting standards and uncommon intensity.
The Terroir
Chouilly is a Grand Cru-classified village located in the northern part of the Côte des Blancs, within the Champagne appellation. This area yields concentrated musts, sustained by a subsoil of pure belemnite chalk. This calcareous geology acts as a natural water reserve, allowing roots to draw deeply the moisture needed throughout the growing cycle. The plot is certified High Environmental Value (HVE). The east and south-east exposure guarantees slow ripening of the grapes, giving rise to the terroir's classic mineral identity.
Winemaking
This cuvée is based exclusively on the Chardonnay grape variety. Pressing isolates the purest juices. A partial malolactic fermentation preserves the natural acidity of the musts. A proportion of the still wines benefits from oak ageing, lending a slightly enveloping texture. Unlike classic blends that incorporate reserve wines, this cuvée reflects a single year. The Extra-Brut dosage is below 6 g/L. A late disgorgement completes the elaboration.
The 1996 vintage
The year 1996 was marked by atypical continental weather patterns. After a variable summer, September brought dry winds with sunny days alternating with cold nights. This significant temperature amplitude caused a temporary physiological halt, concentrating sugars while retaining malic acid. Chardonnay built on these conditions a remarkable structural tension. This unprecedented sugar-acid balance forms the backbone of a wine built for long ageing.
Tasting notes
Appearance
The robe displays a brilliant golden colour in the glass.
Nose
On aeration, the nose opens on aromas of candied orange, rose and toasted brioche. Tertiary development brings notes of mushroom and forest floor.
Palate
On the palate, this champagne delivers a persistent length, framed by a lively acidity.
Food pairing suggestions
- Aged comté gougères
- Oscietra caviar toast
- Foie gras bites
- Butter-roasted turbot
- Veal sweetbreads with morels
- Lobster with saffron sauce
- Aged Chaource
- Apricot fine tart
- Praline mille-feuille
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it?
I was captivated by the vibrant precision of this vintage, which highlights Chouilly's hazelnut and candied lemon notes. The palate is dense, driven by a delicate chalkiness and a saline finish of superb length.
My advice
Serve at 10–12 °C in a wine glass to unleash its complexity. Its structure will pair wonderfully with salt-crusted sea bass or a well-aged comté.
Tips & advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne. Upon receipt, we recommend storing it in its original wooden case, lying horizontally, away from light. Ideally in a cellar; or alternatively in a cool, not too dry, temperature-stable environment.
Ageing potential
The profile of the Grand Cru Chouilly 1996 cuvée from Lenoble gives it extended ageing capacity. The initial cork closure ensures an ageing potential of approximately 30 to 35 years.
- Up to 2006: the cuvée displayed a lively attack with citrus notes.
- From 2007 onwards: ageing developed aromas of pastry and almond.
- Around 2030: the bottle will reach a tertiary profile dominated by mushroom and humus.
Serving suggestions
This wine is best served at 10–12 °C to channel the expression of its crisp acidity. A light decanting of ten minutes allows the wine to open gently. Serve in a wide-bowled tulip glass, whose shape concentrates the evolved aromas towards the top of the bowl.
A note about this cuvée
Armand-Raphaël Graser founded the family business after the First World War, combining his initials with the noble designation of Champagne wines. The AR Lenoble house has operated independently for four generations. This continuity is reflected notably in the care given to wooden case packaging.
The house's aromatic signature lends itself readily to blind tastings. It is often compared with the emblematic Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Lenoble.
Wine enthusiasts who taste this vintage grand cru from the same terroir will recognise that persistent salinity — a hallmark of extraction from Chouilly's chalky soils.
