The 2013 Les Champs Saint Martin vintage from the Hugues Godmé estate is a masterful interpretation of the Grand Cru terroir of Verzenay. This vintage Blanc de Noirs, produced from a single plot, embodies the vision of demanding and uncompromising organic viticulture. The estate's first AB-certified vintage, this bottle marks a historic turning point, capturing the pure energy of nature and the patience of the winemaker.
Far from industrial standards, this champagne of character stands out for its integrity and radical authenticity. Produced without any dosage and vinified in wood, it offers a transparent interpretation of its complex soil. It is a "haute couture" wine, tailor-made for gastronomy, which will appeal to connoisseurs in search of vinosity, depth, and vibrant minerality.
The production of Les Champs Saint Martin 2013 Hugues Godmé champagne
This cuvée is the result of a rigorous parcel-by-parcel approach aimed at isolating the identity of a specific location. The blend is one of absolute purity, rejecting any mixing to let the soil speak for itself:
- 100% Pinot Noir: This emblematic grape variety from the Montagne de Reims expresses itself here with remarkable power and structure.
- Single origin: The grapes come exclusively from the "Les Champs Saint Martin" locality, a renowned terroir in Verzenay.
This choice of a single grape variety and a single vineyard reveals the intimate structure of the wine, offering a tasting experience without artifice or pretense.
The 2013 vintage
The year 2013 stands out as a vintage of "reunion" with the classic Champagne cycle. After a long winter and a cool spring that delayed flowering, the glorious summer allowed the berries to ripen slowly. The October harvest, which has become rare these days, produced wines of dazzling freshness.
For this Les Champs Saint Martin cuvée, 2013 is a pivotal year: it is the very first harvest certified as organic. This late vintage has given the wine a structuring acidity and nervous tension that guarantee exceptional aging potential, while preserving a crystalline aromatic clarity.
The terroir
The unique character of this cuvée stems from the very specific soil of the "Les Champs Saint Martin" plot. Located on the Verzenay Grand Cru, these vines, planted in 1986, have their roots in a subsoil combining limestone and flint. This unique geology is the cornerstone of the wine's aromatic profile.
The limestone brings finesse and elegance, while the presence of flint gives the wine a smoky, almost salty minerality that tantalizes the taste buds. The biodynamic cultivation of the vineyard (practiced on this vintage, certified Biodyvin the following year) amplifies this connection to the terroir, allowing the grapes to capture all the mineral nuances of this stony soil.
Vinification
Hugues Godmé favors a vinification process that accompanies the wine without constraining it. Alcoholic fermentation takes place entirely in oak barrels, a choice that allows the wine to breathe and develop body. This one-year aging in wood is not intended to leave a mark, but to smooth out the texture and add richness.
Out of absolute respect for the raw material, the wine is neither fined nor filtered. It thus retains all its texture and vitality. The aging process is particularly long: the bottles are stored on racks for at least 96 months (8 years). This long period allows the wine to refine and develop a rare complexity. At disgorging, the choice of Brut Nature (zero dosage) is essential so as not to mask the purity of the terroir.
Tasting notes
Color
The deep, brilliant gold color reveals the beautiful maturity of the Pinot Noir and the long aging in the cellar. The effervescence is very refined, rising in a regular, persistent stream.
Nose
The nose opens with a rich and complex palette. Initial notes of ripe yellow fruit and mirabelle plum are quickly enriched by hints of sweet spices and toasted bread from the oak barrel. Underlying this is the signature of flint with very distinguished smoky and iodine nuances.
Palate
The attack on the palate is frank, straightforward and uncompromising, typical of great non-dosage wines. The wine then unfolds with ample, full-bodied substance, a true vinous "backbone." There is perfect balance between the power of Pinot Noir and the mineral tension that stretches the finish with endless saline notes.
Food pairing suggestions
- Iberian ham shavings
- Gougères with aged Comté cheese
- Toast with bone marrow and fleur de sel
- Veal sweetbreads with morel mushrooms
- Roasted Bresse chicken
- Lightly grilled blue lobster
- Thin tart with roasted figs
- Breton shortbread with hazelnuts
- Spiced poached pears
Storage and serving tips
How to store this champagne
The 2013 Les Champs Saint Martin cuvée is a great wine for aging. Its acidic structure and oak aging give it a natural resistance to time. It is essential to store this bottle horizontally, in total darkness, at a cool and constant temperature of around 68-69°F. Good humidity will ensure the elasticity of the cork over time.
Aging potential
Disgorged after more than 8 years in the cellar, this champagne offers magnificent fullness but can still travel through time.
- Ideal tasting window: From 2025 to 2030, to savor its mineral zest and intact freshness.
- Long aging: Until 2035 or even beyond. The wine will then gain in patina, developing tertiary aromas of undergrowth and white truffle.
How to serve Les Champs Saint Martin 2013
This gourmet wine deserves careful service. Forget narrow flutes, which stifle its expression. Serve it in a large white wine glass (such as a Chardonnay glass) to allow it to breathe. The ideal serving temperature is 10°C to 12°C; if it is too cold, it will close up. Aeration for a few minutes in the glass will be very beneficial in releasing its full complexity.
Anecdote about this vintage
This 2013 vintage has strong symbolic value for Hugues Godmé: it represents the culmination of his ecological transition. Although the estate was certified Biodyvin in 2014, it is this 2013 vintage that bears the Organic Agriculture logo on the label for the first time. This wine is liquid proof that patience and respect for living things, initiated well before official certification, bear fruit in the glass. It is a "manifesto" bottle.
