Description & elaboration
The Brut Millésimé 2006 cuvée from Castelnau is a gastronomy champagne with a fully assumed aromatic maturity. It is a champagne of remarkable depth, with notes of mocha, candied yellow fruits and gentle spices. On the palate, the velvety, generous texture seduces with its unctuousness and persistent roasted finish.
The Terroir
The grapes come from plots classified as Premier Cru and Grand Cru. The Côte des Blancs, through benchmark villages such as Chouilly and Avize, yields grapes grown on chalky soils. This highly porous calcareous soil forces the roots to delve deep, providing mineral tension. The Montagne de Reims enriches the profile with its marly-limestone subsoils, while the Vallée de la Marne completes the structure thanks to its deep clay layers.
Vinification
Under the technical direction of the cellar master at harvest, the final blend brings together 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Meunier. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in full to round out the wine's texture. The wine then undergoes a long ageing of 120 months on laths, encouraging the development of autolytic aromas of brioche and toasted bread. The dosage is 6 g/L.
The 2006 vintage
After a cold, dry winter, spring encouraged regular budburst. The July heatwave stimulated rapid vegetative growth, before a particularly rainy August caused temperatures to fall below the appellation's ten-year averages.
The arrival of dry winds in early September swept away the residual humidity. This climatic turnaround saved the harvest by ensuring optimal ripeness before picking began in mid-September. The Pinot Noir bunches particularly benefited from this late sunshine to accumulate reserve sugars.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
The Brut Millésimé 2006 from Castelnau presents a crystalline robe with brilliant golden highlights. It is animated by a fine and persistent effervescence, forming a creamy, regular bead at the surface of the glass.
Nose
On the nose, the aromatics immediately reveal grilled and toasted notes. Aeration unveils the depth of its maturation: fragrances of candied yellow fruits, mocha and roasted almonds.
Palate
On the palate, the wine expresses aromas of dried fruits and pastry. The generous attack gives way to a velvety texture, lingering on a finish with subtle roasted nuances.
Food pairing suggestions
- Veal sweetbreads with morel mushrooms
- Gougères with aged Comté
- Iberian cebo ham
- Pan-fried Arctic char
- Spiced roasted monkfish
- Soft-boiled egg with truffle
- Parmesan aged 24 months
- Farmhouse Chaource with raw milk
- Thin apricot tart
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it?
What strikes me about this vintage is the balance between gentle spice nuances and citrus notes. On the palate, the grilled and toasted flavours bring a savoury depth and a beautiful structure.
My advice
Serve at 10–12 °C in a wine glass. It is sublime alongside Arctic char, monkfish or a soft-boiled egg with white truffle.
Tips & advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced boxes specially designed for champagne transport. After receipt, store the bottle horizontally, away from light. Ideally in a cellar; otherwise, in a cool, not too dry place at a stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Brut Millésimé 2006 from Castelnau evolves over the years towards an increasingly pronounced tertiary complexity. This bottle offers a drinking window extending over some twenty years from the initial harvest.
- Until 2016: the cuvée offered a striking vivacity and primary aromas of fresh citrus.
- From 2017: the champagne evolved towards intermediate notes of pastry and yellow fruits.
- Around 2026: the 2006 vintage reaches its aromatic maturity with aromas of dried fruits, pastry and gentle spices.
Serving suggestions
To fully appreciate its evolved character, serve this bottle (75 cl) at a temperature of 10–12 °C. This threshold avoids masking the tertiary aromas with excessive cold. A wide tulip glass will encourage a moderate release of effervescence.
An anecdote about this cuvée
This release draws on the network of the CRVC, which brings together 149 crus across nearly 900 hectares, allowing the cellar master to isolate concentrated musts during pressing. Alongside this dated edition, the technical team demonstrates its consistency through the finesse of the rosé champagne signed castelnau, incorporating still red wines from the Montagne de Reims.
With its evolved structure and pronounced autolytic expression, this profile can evoke the signature of great vintage blanc de blancs champagnes at full maturity. An approach that rewards the patience of extended cellar ageing before disgorgement.
By its vinification and aromatic profile, this cuvée is not without echoes of a characterful vintage blanc de blancs champagne.
Also worth discovering: Le Rosé.
Opinion of thewine guides