Loriot-Pagel Brut Special Club Champagne 2018

The honor of putting ‘Special Club’ on your label requires painstaking attention in both the vineyard and the cellar. But to even be considered a Club Trésors de Champagne member, Champagne’s only organized committee, demands details not for the faint of heart. Today, it holds just 24 members. A panel of experts must vote you in, and your domain must have a winemaker who is involved in and has total control over farming and winemaking practices. Sounds like a straightforward ask, but this is not common in Champagne. The region is so cold that committing all of your production to estate bottlings is risky. It is a much surer bet to sell and trade fruit in tide with the growing season’s highs and lows. The Club Trésors de Champagne producers are artisans and risk-takers, and each Special Club bottle should be considered a work of art. Let us introduce you to one such masterpiece!

First founded by Jules Leopold Loriot in 1838, the sixth generation family members are now at the helm of this exceptional Champagne grower producer. Covering nine hectares of vineyards stretching across seven regions (Festigny, Mareuil-le-Port, Nesles-le-Repons, Le Breuil, Avize, Cramant and Oger), Loriot~Pagel focuses predominantly on Meunier, but they also farm Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The average age of their vines today are 36 years old. Grapes are harvested by hand and only the finest bunches are selected and then meticulously sorted before being pressed with great care. Their wines are mostly matured in small, stainless steel vats making it possible to vinify vintages and terroirs individually, respecting the wine’s evolution.

This vintage Champagne is a rhapsody to the sweet, fruity crispness of Pinot Meunier, picked from two of the family's best small plots in early September.  Straw yellow and golden hue colors entice you to first wafts of gingerbread, citrus fruits, and fresh ginger.  The palate is structured, powerful, but with a touch of finesse and line of minerality.