Worth the Wait: the Champagne of Louis Brochet

When I visited Hélène and Louis Brochet on June 16th of this year, it had already been four months since we ordered Champagne from them. Now, in October, I am very glad to say that the wine is finally here. Logistics during the pandemic are the worst I have ever seen, but the good news is that the wine arrives—eventually!

The Brochet family has 32 acres of vines, almost all in the village of Écueil on the Mountain of Reims. They have been growers since 1882, at least, and have the distinction of possessing their own special selection of Pinot Noir, Pinot d’Écueil, which is an old massal selection passed down for generations in their family. Louis Brochet, the current winemaker, is qualified with a diploma of enology, a masters-level education in winemaking. With his learned skill, their special selection of Pinot, and the great terroir of the 1er cru of Écueil, the family is turning out fantastic wines. Since we have been buying direct from them for years, the prices are still super reasonable. 

After giving the bottles a beat to settle, I took home a pair for a sushi dinner. The Louis Brochet 1er Cru "Extra Blanc" Champagne ($49.99) and the Louis Brochet "Extra Noir" Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne ($69.99) are incredible to have side by side over an evening with gyoza, rolls, and proper sushi. The Extra Blanc, which is currently entirely from the 2014 vintage, is stainless-steel fermented Chardonnay from the best east-facing slopes they have in Écueil. They only made 2138 bottles of this, and it reminded me a little bit of Dauvissat Chablis with its fabulous minerality, subtle lemon character, and Asiago bread toast. It went spectacularly with the gyoza and the rolls and finished very long. This chalky Champagne is dosed at only 2 grams per liter but has plenty of richness to hold it together.

The Extra Noirs, which is made exclusively from Pinot d’Écueil and barrel fermented was magic with the sushi proper, showing concentrated, dark cherry Pinot savor and sourdough toast. This is all 2012 and dosed at 5 grams per liter. It is a powerful wine perfect for any main fish course.

His flagship wine is his Louis Brochet 1er Cru Brut Champagne ($29.99) which is a flat-out incredible deal. The current batch is 2017 base, and a blend of 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, and 10% Meunier, dosed between 6 and 7 grams per liter. The defining feature of this wine is the quality of the reserves, which make up 45% of the blend. Of these reserves, one third come from an oak-aged solera of Pinot d’Ecuiel going back to 2010—the same reserves that can be found on their own in his Réserve Perpétuelle. The wine has lovely baguette toast on the nose. It comes across dry and balanced in the mouth and finishes with complexity and chalk that one does not expect at the price. This is the one not to miss out of this lineup—it is a great aperitif! The same can be said for the Louis Brochet 1er Cru Extra Brut Champagne ($34.99), which is the same wine, but is based on 2016, given an extra year on the lees, and dosed at 3 grams per liter. While it is firmer and more bracing than the regular brut, it has great length and intrigue: perfect for anyone who likes the extra brut style or for anyone having shellfish!

The 2014 Louis Brochet "Alain" Millesime Brut Champagne ($39.99) comes from a vintage that I cannot crow loudly enough about. The long, cool, even 2014 season produced wines that remind me of 1988 and 2004, classic Champagne vintages for the long haul. I promise that everyone who collects Champagne will kick themselves for not buying enough of it if, instead, they focus too much on the ripe, flashy vintages like 2015 and 2018. The “Alain” is quintessential 2014; it has a touch of butter on its toasty nose but is absolutely fresh on the back end. It is composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay and dosed at 5 grams per liter. The nutty complexity of the Pinot flavors and the definitive chalk finish made me write “just like a great, young 1988” in my notebook.

We only received 18 bottles of the Louis Brochet "Réseve Perpétuelle" Brut Nature Champagne ($89.99), as most of this wine is destined for the brut and extra brut. This, like the Extra Noir, is 100% old-vine Pinot d’Écueil, all wood-fermented and aged, spanning the 2010–2015 harvests. It is given three years on the lees after the solera ageing and is vinous, powerful Pinot Noir. While it shows a little toast on the nose, the main feature of the wine is the black cherry power of these old vineyards and an austere grip from the zero dosage. If you want a main course Champagne with power to spare, don’t wait! There are not many bottles to be had.

A toast to you!

- Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer