Description
Champagne JL Vergnon, “Hautes Mottes” Grand Cru Brut Nature
Never seen this cuvée before? Neither had I, but my familiarity and respect for JL Vergnon runs deeper than Lake Baikal, plus, I don’t know a single champagne fanatic who would overlook a 2012 Grand Cru bottling. However, as I began unraveling the mystique of this cuvée, I quickly learned the legendary vintage and elite producer only comprised the tip of the iceberg.
Turns out, the “Hautes Mottes” prominently displayed on the front label is a hidden gem of a vineyard immediately neighboring “Les Chétillons.” This hallowed site, immortalized by Pierre Péters, is the sole source for an ungodly expensive cuvée ($300-$800) that many consider to be among the greatest champagnes in existence. And still, Vergnon’s cult-adjacent, Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyard is only half of the equation. What happens in their cellar is equally profound: Tonight’s 2012 vinified in high-quality French oak for nearly a year before being transferred into bottle for 87 months of lees aging. To top it all off, they topped it off with nothing—zéro dosage. For that reason, I want to be very clear that this is an extremely mineral, precise, meditative, terroir-driven wine that lies at the opposite end of the spectrum of, say, Dom Perignon. Its production size is also 1,000 times smaller than Dom’s, with just a few hundred cases produced in 2012. I was able to secure the last 60 bottles in America. No more than three per person.
NOTE: Because of extreme scarcity, this wine is only available as a pre-offer. We expect our stock to arrive by mid-July.
For the past two centuries, five generations of the Vergnon family have lived not just in the Côte des Blancs, not just in the town of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, but in the exact same structure. They now farm five hectares of vines, predominately located in their home village, and the quality of their wines in recent times has been nothing short of revolutionary. According to champagne luminary Peter Liem, they’ve become one of the stars of the region. I’m inclined to agree.
Many may be surprised to learn Le Mesnil-sur-Oger was only elevated to Grand Cru status in 1985. Although, by that time, it was a simple formality because most vignerons were already in agreement that this was one of the finest terroirs in all of Champagne. Today, two vineyards soak up the majority of the global spotlight: Clos du Mesnil and Les Chétillons. “Hautes Mottes” is a short walk to the former, and a direct border to the latter. The Vergnons farm their parcel here with an organic mindset and wait to harvest their grapes until they’ve achieved extreme ripeness and concentration. Because of this, they avoid malolactic fermentation in their cellar and low-to-no dosages are added.
Upon harvesting their Chardonnay crop in 2012, the grapes fermented and matured in 300-liter French barrels until the following summer. From here, the wine was transferred into bottle where it spent 87 months aging sur lie. Upon disgorgement in October of 2020, no dosage was added. As such, this is a bone-dry wine, and I must re-emphasize that those looking for a rich, creamy, “luxurious” champagne à la Dom Perignon will be disappointed. This is for devote students of Côte des Blancs’ fabled terroir and admirers of tensile, powerfully structured Chardonnays from one of Champagne’s all-time great contemporary vintages. Bruised yellow apple, dried apricot, hazelnut, salt-preserved lemon, chalk, damp white flowers, and echoes of exotic spice are all intricately infused on an intense, saline-driven backbone of crushed oyster shell. Even with a decade of maturity under its belt, this may still come across as “extreme” to some, but those truly committed to savoring the razor-sharp, makeup-free purity of Le Mesnil will find great delight in every ounce.
My advice: Find a flared tulip or all-purpose stem and serve around 50-55 degrees. As the wine opens up and sheds some carbonation, you’ll discover an entirely new range of exquisite aromas and deeply textured layers emerging. As for further cellaring, I say absolutely if you plan on buying more than one. My bottle wasn’t showing any signs of fatigue, and I expect it’ll still be firing on its 20th birthday. Enjoy.
