2016 Fleury Pere et Fils Notes Blanches Brut Nature, Champagne, France

Pinot Blanc may be little seen inChampagnethese days, butFleurys Notes Blanches makes an airtight case for its worthiness. From parcels in CourteronsCharme de FinandValverotvineyards, this 2016 was bottled for secondary fermentation in July 2017 after being fermented and aged entirely in used oak barrels; it was disgorged after 5 years of lees aging in December 2022 without any dosage. Pinot Blancs relative neutrality allows the Kimmeridgian limestone to deeply imprint the wine; compared to a Chardonnay-drivenChampagne, Notes Blanches is sleeker in profile and more savory in its mineral flavors, with an overall drier and less dessert-like impression. This is a fascinating wine particularly well suited to aficionados of the region but certainly accessible to all.