Lamoureux—Champagne Three Miles From Burgundy!

Today I traveled to the very far south of Champagne, in the Aube department to visit my friend Vivien Lamoureux at Champagne J.J. Lamoureux in the beautiful village of Les Riceys. This is the southern tip of Champagne and only three short miles from the departmental border with Burgundy. Here the soil is not the pure white chalk of the Marne area, but rather nearly the same Kimmeridgian clay as in Chablis. Notably, Pinot Noir is king in this area, as Chardonnay buds too early and is at high risk for frost on all but the steepest and most perfectly east-facing sites.

Vivien and I tasted his entire range and caught up. Like most of the other producers I have talked to, he had terrible yields in 2021, only harvesting half of normal. The problem for him was not the summer storms that decimated the Marne with mildew, but rather spring frost that destroyed half of the buds before they had a chance to grow. Even the later budding Pinot Noir was badly affected in this area. The climate here is quite a bit more continental than in the Marne, and warm weather early in the year, followed by normal cold snaps, can lead to catastrophic losses. Luckily, la montre est bonne here as well, and it looks like he will have a good crop this year.

Vivien and I started out our tasting with his Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Réserve" Brut Champagne which is 100% Pinot Noir from his estate in Les Riceys. This wine has a golden blush and a beautiful open nose with notes of fresh bread and dark cherry fruit. In the mouth it has great richness from the 50% reserves he uses in the blend and good toast as well. The finish is clean, but not at all austere. It is way too easy to drink, and quite easy to buy at just $29.99. An inflation buster!

My favorite wine from his estate is his Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut Champagne, which he makes from a third each of the three main varieties of Champagne. The Pinot Noir is kept for a full year in a large oak foudre before bottling, while the Chardonnay is fermented, but not aged, in 500-liter oak casks. The Meunier is done in stainless steel. The combination, and the long ageing on the lees, make for true Champagne magic. This wine has the flair, texture, and subtle intrigue of very expensive Champagne. Check out the link for more information.

Tomorrow, I hit the road for the Sezanne and Brouillet!

A toast to you!

Gary Westby