This month we have put together two of the young guns from the Montagne de Reims.
Meet Domaine des Tuileries
If you have been around for a bit you have heard the name Bryan Marx and probably know a bit of his story. Bryan is a young winemaker who took over from his parents in 2017 and quickly turned his family estate (Marx-Coutelas) into a powerhouse with better farming and better techniques in the cellar.
Beginning in 2019, he carved off 1.5 hectares from five of his favorite plots to create a new project, Domaine des Tuileries (names after the place he and his grandfather would picnic on war summer days under an old Acacia tree).
Bryan has been busy in the last decade. Not only has he taken his family winery and his own brand to new levels, but he has started a third even smaller label with a friend as a micro-negotiant, called Champagne MABE. He a creative machine that keeps pumping out the hits. Plus, he is the founder of Epicurwine, a group of likeminded young and talented growers from champagne that together are changing the face of Champagne.
The Wine
Add to your collection with a bottle from Domaine des Tuileries in our Shop.
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2020 Empreintes is 100% Pinot Noir from a south facing slope planted on chalk, and the very last bottles in existence from this vintage.
Why we love it: Something about these vines growing in tail end of the famous Champagne Chalk soils makes this feel really special. Not only that, they special too. This has always been the superstar from the lineup, strength, and purity of fruit are always hallmarks of this wine.
The vibe: Taco Tuesday with fish tacos and a fresh squeeze of lime.
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Meet Champagne Brice Allouchery
Brice Allouchery has just released his second vintage since taking over his family estate in Écueil in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. He did as many of his generation do: he returned the entirety of his vineyards to organic winemaking. This big change allowed him to continue the traditions of the past while having a keen eye on the future and a path forward to making the wines in his vision.
The average vine age is over 60 years old having been planted by his grandfather. Brice's philosophy is one of patience. The vines have been rooted with the family for many decades, the knowledge has been passed down over generations and the deep cold cellar allows for the barrels, most everything is kept in beautiful old barrels, to age slowly.
He tastes often watching the evolution making sure that the expression of terroir is always at the forefront. There is a calm in the cellar and in the winery that also expresses itself in the bottles. Far from flashy, these wines have a sense of place, contemplation and depth to them. This does not mean that they are flat or bulky, quite the opposite. They jump out of the glass as if they have been waiting patiently for this moment to shine.
The Wine
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Les Hauts Bourgeois is a stunning single vineyard, 100% Pinot Noir. The vineyard is in the next village over Sacy and is planted to sand, which is rare in Champagne.
Why we love it: There are a few plots in this part of the mountain that feature sand and the resulting wines are always a touch more fine grained, powerful and delicate. That seems like a tasting note full of contradiction and that is exactly what makes this bottle spectacular.
The vibe: Picnic lunch with a charcuterie board and marinated olives.
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