Vazart-Coquart Blanc de Blancs Special Club 2012

Blanc de Blancs Special Club is Vazart Coquart's prestige cuvée. Produced from only the highest quality grapes and aged for 6-7 years on cork (rather than crown cap), this is an exceptional blend. Production of Blanc de Blancs Special Club is limited to just 20,000 bottles per year. As one of the most senior members of the famous 'Club Trésors' (Special Cub), Vazart-Coquart must produce their best current cuvée in the Special Club embossed bottle shape.

Weather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru Chouilly
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation: 100% stainless steel
Lees Ageing: 6.5 years on cork
Laid in the Cellars: March 2013
Disgorged: August 2019
Dosage: 3.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2026

Tasting Note: Very fresh with bundles of lemon and lime and beautiful chalky character. The low dosage makes it extra brut but that doesn’t come across as it has so much fruit and ripeness mixed with lees character that builds up to some light custard layering. This feels young and vibrant with an exciting future. This is a good example showing how good one grape variety can be from one of the best Chardonnay villages in Champagne.

Champagne Vazart-Coquart produce only single cru champagnes from their 11-hectare estate in Champagne's largest Grand Cru village, Chouilly. Being the Côte des Blancs, mainly Chardonnay is grown here, with just 4.5-hectares of Pinot Noir planted in the whole village. Only a handful of independent growers in the region can boast ownership of a Pinot Noir plot in Chouilly: and Vazart-Coquart are one of them.

Established in the 19th century, this independent grower has developed quickly into a respected producer. Current owner Jean-Pierre Vazart values eco-friendly winemaking and Vazart-Coquart were just the third producer to be awarded the highest level of environmental certification in 2012. His multiple vineyard sites, with many variations of soil and exposure, produce different wines for the domaine. Vinification is based on small tanks to capture this variation and only stainless-steel is used, producing a unique style of mineral delicacy and buttery, floral fruit: the signature of Chouilly.

Cellar Master: Jean-Pierre Vazart
Winery Location: Chouilly | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): 80,000