Description & elaboration
The AMME Pinot Noir cuvée from Augustin is a Blanc de Pinots Noirsmade 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, ideal for pairing with a gastronomic meal. Marc and Emmanuelle Augustin run this human-scale estate with rare conviction, producing just a few thousand bottles each year.
The estate holds dual certification in organic and biodynamic farming through Demeter. 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 provide constant moisture regulation through capillary action, preventing any water retention at root level.
The upper soil layers contain a significant proportion of ferruginous clay, which gives the wine a dense structure and pronounced minerality. The south-easterly exposure ensures full ripening of the grapes, expressing on the palate the characteristic breadth of this chalky terroir.
The winemaking
Under the direction of Marc and Emmanuelle Augustin, the winemaking process retains only the cœur de cuvée during pressing. Alcoholic fermentation begins spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts (naturally present on the grapes). The musts develop jointly in thermo-regulated enamelled steel tanks and multi-vintage oak barrels.
Malolactic fermentation completes naturally, stabilising the wines without sulphur. Bottling is followed by 36 months of ageing on lees in cellars at 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, partially aged in oak foudres, represents on average one third of the total volume. Its integration balances the acidity of the base year's juice, in a proportion adjusted according to the climatic profile of the harvest.
Ageing in barrels imparts a slight 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 shot through with coppery highlights, typical of extended extraction. The effervescence forms steady 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 spice.
Palate
The attack is marked by a silky texture. The mid-palate confirms the structure perceived on the nose, carried by a taut, linear tension. The finish lingers with chalky, delicately saline sensations.
Food pairing suggestions
- Comté gougères
- Iberian ham
- Foie gras toast
- Poularde with morel mushrooms
- Pan-fried veal sweetbreads
- Duck fillet
- Aged Chaource
- Plum tart
- Raspberry macaron
The Plus de Bulles expert's view
Why I love it
What moves me about this cuvée is its genuine character and remarkable purity on the palate. This Pinot Noir won me over with its multi-layered aromas, offering a sincere, profound expression and a disarming finesse.
My recommendation
Ideally, serve at 8–10 °C in a wine glass to let its structure breathe and fully appreciate its natural brilliance.
Practical 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 the very least in a cool, not too dry environment with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The AMME Pinot Noir Augustin cuvée is built to evolve favourably, supported by its biodynamic ageing and the absence of dosage. It will cellar well for approximately 3 to 5 years.
- Drinking now: the profile revolves around crunchy red fruits — morello cherry, raspberry — and a taut acidic backbone.
- Drinking after 3 years: bottle ageing accentuates the toasted bread notes developed during the long time on lees.
- Drinking 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 made without added sulphites. This prior oxygenation unfolds the bouquet before serving in a tulip glass.
A note on 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 by Augustin.
To measure the impact of geology on this grape variety, a side-by-side tasting with the Grand Cru expression of Pinot Noir from Ambonnay highlights the variations of the chalky matrix.
