Champagne Coessens Largillier Brut Nature NV

All of Coessens's champagnes come from the lieu-dit of Largillier. All are made of pinot noir, exclusively from vines over 30 years old, and all come from a single year, with no reserve wine included in the blend. These are rich, full-bodied champagnes, demonstrating the bold ripeness and broad flavors of Côte des Bar pinot noir, but at the same time, they are marked by a powerful expression of Kimmeridgian soils, giving the wines a strongly saline, flinty intensity. "I'm looking for depth [of fruit]," says Coessens, "but this must also be balanced with minerality." The wines benefit significantly from ample post-disgorgement aging, and Coessens tries his best to keep them in the cellar as long as possible before release, although with such a tiny production, this is not always easy.

The Brut Nature is a fine introduction to the Coessens range, showing an expressive depth and an excellent balance for a non-dosé. It's a very different wine from the Blanc de Noirs, with the two sourced from separate sub-parcels within Largillier and released at radically different dosage levels. However, the Blanc de Noirs demonstrates an equally intense minerality, and its intelligently judged dosage brings out more completeness and complexity in the fruit.