Description & elaboration
The L'Âme du Chai cuvée crafted by Benoit Munier is a Blanc de Blancs champagne made from a selection of the finest barrels in the cellar. It is a champagne with notes of citrus — ripe pear — and a pronounced indulgence, the hallmark of great terroirs. On the palate, the amplitude is generous and the texture persistent, made to accompany meals of character. This is a limited-production cuvée with only 220 bottles available.
Benoit Munier crafts this champagne by selecting the barrels he considers most representative of the harvest and the most expressive.
The Terroir
The grapes come from Cramant, Avize, Oger and Chouilly, four villages rated Grand Cru on the Champagne classification scale. These plots rest on a terroir of surfacing chalk.
The roots draw water directly from this porous soil. The Cretaceous geological formations accumulate winter rainfall and release moisture during dry summers. This geology imparts a characteristic saline minerality to the musts.
Cramant stands out for its south-east-facing hillsides. Avize brings a characteristic tension from its steep slopes. Oger delivers sun-drenched profiles thanks to its geological basin. Chouilly rounds out the blend with shallow clay soils.
Benoît Munier takes a grower's approach, favouring soil cultivation to encourage the roots to dig deep, while natural grass competition limits yields. This practice accentuates the root-driven expression of the old vines.
Winemaking
This champagne is a Blanc de blancs. The blend is built on the 2022 harvest and incorporates a share (30%) of perpetual reserve (a system for preserving wines from one year to the next) initiated during previous harvests. The 30% of reserve wines introduce evolved nuances that, over time, add complexity to the tactile structure of the final blend.
Only the cuvée is used; the taille wines are systematically excluded from the blend. Benoît Munier ages his wines in French oak barrels for 9 months, a duration that brings structure and texture without overpowering the fruit. During this ageing, the wines rest on fine lees to add texture. Malolactic fermentation (the transformation of malic acid that softens acidity) occurs spontaneously thanks to ambient temperature.
The blend base
The cuvée is composed of 70% wines from the main harvest (2022) and 30% reserve wines aged in barrels. The 2022 vintage passed without any late spring frost; flowering developed under favourable weather conditions.
A summer rainfall deficit concentrated the berries, bringing the sugar level to 10.5 degrees. This ripeness gives the juices a pronounced roundness. The harvest, which began in late August under clear skies, was marked by rigorous sorting in the vineyard.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
The colour reveals a golden hue with intense golden highlights. The effervescence traces a regular bead at the surface. The oak ageing visually deepens the Chardonnay's original shade.
Nose
The first nose opens on crisp yellow fruit notes. Aeration releases aromas of gentle spice and almond. The wine's youth brings indulgent white peach aromas, lifted at the back of the glass by wafts of fresh citrus.
Palate
The attack is marked by an immediate spherical amplitude. The substance coats the palate with generosity. The oak-barrel ageing imparts a fine buttery texture. The finish snaps with the characteristic salinity of chalk.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Comté gougères
- Scallops
- Foie gras toast
- Bresse chicken
- Porcini mushroom risotto
- Oven-baked sea bass
- Comté aged 24 months
- Beaufort d'alpage
- Apricot tart
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
I was captivated by the elegant patina of this cuvée, where notes of dried fruit and brioche find perfect balance with a persistent saline tension. The palate, at once full-bodied and precise, delivers a finish of remarkable finesse.
My advice
Serve at 10–11 °C in a wine glass to release its complex bouquet. This champagne pairs beautifully with chicken with morels or fine shellfish.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Upon receipt, 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 location with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing Potential
L'Âme du Chai by Benoit Munier is built to evolve serenely in the cellar, thanks to the natural freshness of chalk-grown Chardonnay. The ageing potential easily reaches 5 to 10 years.
- Drink now: the wine reveals notes of white flowers and fresh citrus.
- After 3 years: evolution develops hints of toasted bread and roasted almond.
- After 7 years: time brings nuances of beeswax and gentle spice.
Serving Suggestions
Opt for a wide glass — a tulip or Burgundy style — to allow the Chardonnay to express itself fully on contact with air. The gradual warming of the glass unlocks the cuvée's aromatic potential. Always prepare glasses on a side table before serving.
