TN Champagne Vazart-Coquart TC 2015 BdB Grand Cru

Stas Medvedev · Sep 22, 2020

This new cuvee is the result of Jean-Pierre experimenting with ovoid terracotta vessel, thus the name. Fruit comes from a single lieu-dit of Les Aventures in Chouilly Grand Cru, Cotes de Blancs. This chalky parcel is located at the foot of the Château de Saran making a distinct signature to Chardonnay.

It was disgorged à la volée in November 2019 after spending 45 months sur latte with cork closure. Same method is used for Special Club bottling of Vazart-Coquart. TC15 is the only cuvee of the house that doesn't undergo the malolactic fermentation.

I chose it for an apero to our exquisite dinner with friends. TC15 nicely paired with delicious Burrata di Bufala and mix of local tomatoes seasoned with black truffles in olive oil.

Citrus and green apple on the attack. Made in the reductive style with underlying oxidation from porous terracotta and natural cork closure. TC15 is quite harsh at the start. Once you give it some air it will surprise you with a rewarding mid-palate. Dosed with just 2.5 g/l.

Coming from another good vintage of 2015 and firm acidic structure this cuvee is charged with big potential for longevity. Lucky me, I have a few bottles which I will rest for a few years in my cave.

Steven Pritchard · Sep 23, 2020

A warning: Being from 2015 with only 2.5g/l and inherently low sulphur added at disgorgement it is likely to oxidise very quickly. If oxidised champagnes are your bag, you’ll be fine!

Stas Medvedev · Sep 24, 2020

Steven Pritchard said:
A warning: Being from 2015 with only 2.5g/l and inherently low sulphur added at disgorgement it is likely to oxidise very quickly. If oxidised champagnes are your bag, you’ll be fine!

Steven, I don't see a big drame here )) Jean-Pierre picks his grapes ripe, so there is plenty of phenolics. Wines can sustain lower sulphur regimen. And J-P is not so crazy about sulphur free wines. So I doubt it will heavily oxidise in the foreseeable future. His Special Club cuvee which is made in a similar fashion (except it undergoes full malo) ages nicely.
I will open another bottle in 2 years and will report on the progress.

Steven Pritchard · Sep 24, 2020

Stas Medvedev said:
Steven, I don't see a drame here )) Jean-Pierre picks his grapes ripe, so there is plenty of phenolics. Wines can sustain lower sulphur regimen. And J-P is not so crazy about sulphur free wines. So I doubt it will heavily oxidise in the foreseeable future. His Special Club cuvee which is made in a similar fashion (except it undergoes full malo) ages nicely.
I will open another bottle in 2 years and will report on the progress.

The pH is rather high in 2015, which is the most important pre-cursor to aging (the lower the better in theory). The dosage is rather low (and he uses MCR which itself behaves differently from traditional cane / beet sugar), so there is not necessarily a lot of potential complexity there.

An additional problem in 2015 is low phenolic maturity (hence the "greenness" that many wines possess), this can have an effect on balance / long term potential too.

It is how SO2 is used (a more correct term than "sulphur") that is more important (growers have a tendency to incorrectly lower it at disgorgement, rather than earlier in the process which is far more desirable), and JP himself admits he uses "minimal SO2".

I might be wrong (but my instincts tell me otherwise), so just a warning to not assume longevity!