Augustin

AMME Pinot Noir | Bottle 75cl

Description

Description & elaboration

The AMME Pinot Noir cuvée from Augustin is a Blanc de Pinots Noirs made from 100% Pinot Noir, crafted on the Premier Cru terroir of Avenay-Val-d'Or. This champagne offers notes of morello cherry and wild raspberry — toasted brioche — gentle spices and a saline finish. On the palate, a silky texture gives way to a structured backbone, making it an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Marc and Emmanuelle Augustin run this human-scale estate with rare conviction, producing a confidential output of just a few thousand bottles per year.

The estate holds dual certification in organic and biodynamic farming by the Demeter organisation. Vineyard work follows the lunar calendar and incorporates the dynamisation of natural preparations based on horn manure and horn silica. These practices encourage deep root development without the use of synthetic inputs.

The Terroir

The vines flourish in Avenay-Val-d'Or, a Premier Cru-classified village on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims. The subsoil consists of outcropping chalk, topped by a thin layer of limestone typical of this area. These porous geological formations ensure constant water regulation through capillary action, preventing any moisture build-up around the roots.

The surface horizons contain a significant proportion of ferruginous clay, which gives the wine a dense structure and pronounced minerality. The south-east-facing exposure guarantees full berry ripening, translating into the characteristic breadth typical of this chalky terroir.

Winemaking

Under the direction of Marc and Emmanuelle Augustin, winemaking isolates only the cœur de cuvée during pressing. Alcoholic fermentation starts spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts (naturally present on the grapes). The musts develop jointly in temperature-controlled enamelled steel tanks and multi-vintage oak barrels.

Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally, stabilising the wines without added sulphur. Bottling precedes 36 months of ageing on lees in cellars maintained at a constant temperature. The cuvée is vinified as zero dosage (0 g/L).

Blend characteristics

The blend is built around a primary harvest year, complemented by the incorporation of reserve wines. This reserve, partly aged in oak foudres, represents on average one third of the total volume. Its integration balances the acidity of the base year's juices, in a proportion adjusted according to the climatic balance of the harvest.

Barrel ageing imparts a subtle oxidative patina to the reserve wine over the years — a method that brings depth and aromatic continuity from one vintage to the next.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance

  The colour is a deep gold with copper highlights, typical of extended extraction. The effervescence forms regular streams of fine bubbles, feeding a persistent mousse.

• Nose

  On aeration, the nose opens with clear notes of morello cherry and wild raspberry. Fragrances of toasted brioche and baked apple intertwine with hints of gentle spices.

• Palate

  The attack is marked by a silky texture. The mid-palate confirms the structure perceived on the nose, underpinned by a linear tension. The finish lingers on chalky, delicately saline sensations.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Aperitif bites

• Comté gougères
• Iberian ham
• Foie gras toast

Main courses

• Poularde with morel mushrooms
• Pan-fried veal sweetbreads
• Duck fillet

Cheese and Desserts

• Aged Chaource
• Plum tart
• Raspberry macaron

The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion

Advice

How to store this champagne?

Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Once received, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at least in a cool, not overly dry place with a relatively stable temperature.

Ageing potential

The AMME Pinot Noir Augustin cuvée is built to evolve favourably, driven by its biodynamic ageing and the absence of dosage. It offers a cellaring potential of approximately 3 to 5 years.

• Drink now: the profile revolves around crunchy red fruits — morello cherry, raspberry — and a taut acidic backbone.
• After 3 years: bottle ageing accentuates the toasted bread notes developed during the long time on lees.
• Up to 5 years: over time, tertiary aromas of leather and undergrowth enrich the aromatic palette.

Serving suggestions

We recommend serving this sparkling wine at a temperature of 10 to 12 °C. A 15-minute decanting encourages the aromatic opening of wines vinified without added sulphites. This prior oxygenation unfurls the bouquet before serving in a tulip glass.

An anecdote about this cuvée

In the estate's own cosmogony, this wine is associated with the element of Fire. To explore this philosophy further on chalky terroirs, you might also discover this other Blanc de Noirs cuvée from Augustin.

To measure the impact of geology on this grape variety, a comparative tasting with the expression of Pinot Noir from the Grand Cru of Ambonnay highlights the variations within the chalky matrix.