Description
Champagne Marguet, Premier Cru “Sapience”
I want to emphasize, bold, and underscore the following declaration: Marguet’s 2012 “Sapience” is the most enthralling Champagne that’s ever graced my Friday Night Series, yet it is not a bottle for everyone, nor is it a wine that can be accurately detailed. It simply eludes description. All I can do is present the facts and the visceral reaction of my own tasting experience.
I’ll start with the wine’s upbringing. Yes, this inexpressible cuvée comes from the historic 2012 vintage and is infused with Champagne’s three noble grapes, but it’s the WHO and WHERE that makes Sapience so singularly memorable: the Chardonnay hails from Léclapart in Trépail; the Pinot Noir from Lahaye in Bouzy; the Meunier from Laval in Cumières. That’s not a mistype. This bottle holds pristine fruit from three of Champagne’s most idolized/legendary biodynamic growers, and it’s all crafted by Benoît Marguet, one of the sharpest low-intervention minds of modern times. After 10 months of fermenting and evolving in French barrels, this superbly rare, mesmeric blend was gravity-fed into today’s gorgeous bottles where it then matured nine years before disgorgement without dosage. It is a meditative, complicated Champagne that requires Burgundy stems, an unclouded mind, and many hours of patient consideration. If you’re intrigued, tap “Read More” as I attempt to explain my unforgettable tasting experience. Purchases are limited to two bottles.
Here’s a quick recap on how today’s 2012 “Sapience” was crafted, because it’s worth repeating. Benoît Marguet’s collaborative prestige cuvée is sourced from three of Champagne’s most iconic and legendary biodynamic growers: (1) David Léclapart’s Chardonnay in the Premier Cru village of Trépail; (2) Vincent Laval’s Meunier in the Premier Cru village of Cumières; and (3) Benoît Lahaye’s Pinot Noir in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. One harvested by hand, the fruit was delicately transported to Margeut’s cellar in Ambonnay and a long, slow, spontaneous fermentation was carried out in French oak. After 10 months, the wine was blended, bottled, and buried deep in the cellar for nine years of quiet sur lie maturation. Disgorgement came in the Spring of 2022 with a zero-gram dosage. Only ~250 cases were produced.
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I don’t remember where I read this, but “Sapience” has allegedly entered official blind tastings against top tête de cuvées like Salon and Krug and come out as the top performer. But I have no concrete proof and would rather not speculate—or introduce comparison. It transcends that. Instead, I’ll just convey the thoughts and emotions I had when tasting my bottle.
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This review is a candid stream of consciousness, so please excuse the poor syntax. I chilled my bottle down to about 50 degrees and pulled the cork. Delicate aromas wafted out in the form of red apple, lemon sorbet, bruised Rainier cherry, and damp earth. I poured a few ounces into a Lehmann Champagne stem, smelled, and immediately transferred it into a large Burgundy glass. The mousse was delicate, very fine. After letting it warm and open for five minutes, I took a sip. Impressive texture…sharp, pure, lightly oxidative flavors…bright finish. My initial reaction: it was good but not worth its $250 price tag. I was bummed. I started making dinner and came back to the bottle an hour later. Hold on a second…this changed.
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Now, it was blossoming with perfumed white and yellow flowers, acacia honey, spiced pear, and toasted hazelnut. Wow, this evolved into something special. Then, my third glass, two hours later, had me gushing to my Champagne-loving friends over text. With half the bottle remaining, I placed it back in the fridge and revisited the following day, after a full 24 hours had passed. It was now unbelievable and, incredibly, fresher and more nuanced than the prior evening. I was genuinely moved. I don’t care to get into specifics because I imagine this bottle will (and should) evoke discreet reactions from everyone. For me, it was a deeply emotional and magical champagne; a meditative wine of extreme intelligence. If you buy two bottles, savor one over the course of two or three days and cellar your other for as long as you’d like. I imagine it’ll be heaven on earth throughout its 15-20th birthdays. Cheers.
