# Bistrotage Extra Brut Affinage Prolongé B.17 (NV)

- **Producer:** Charles Dufour (Françoise Martinot)
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €100
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, lemon, fennel, brioche, toast, bread, butter, almond, hazelnut, marmalade

## About this wine

Charles Dufour is one of the leading figures in the natural Champagne movement, based in Landreville in the southern Côte des Bar district. Alongside his estate range, Dufour crafts this special cuvée using organically farmed Pinot Noir vineyards belonging to his mother, Françoise Martinot. The parcels are located in the villages of Chervey and Neuville-sur-Seine on clay-limestone soils. This release, designated B.17, stems from the 2017 single-harvest base and undergoes extended cellar aging under Dufour's low-intervention winemaking philosophy.

## Interesting facts

- Only 10% of the harvest is retained for the rare Affinage Prolongé extended lees aging bottling.
- The grapes are grown organically by Charles Dufour's mother, Françoise Martinot, in the Côte des Bar.
- Matured sur pointes for over 80 months before disgorgement without any added dosage.

## Food pairing

The intense autolytic complexity, muscular Pinot Noir density, and broad mouthfeel enable this Blanc de Noirs Champagne to pair effortlessly with rich, savory proteins like duck, pork, and lobster. High vibrant acidity cleanses the palate when cut through with rich animal fats or creamy cheeses, while zero dosage ensures a crisp, clean finish alongside subtle umami components.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested whole clusters underwent direct pressing with minimal initial sulfur. Fermentation occurred spontaneously using native yeasts in Burgundy oak barrels and large oak foudres, followed by complete natural malolactic fermentation. Unfined and unfiltered, the base wine spent 12 months on fine lees in neutral oak and stainless steel before being bottled in October 2018 for secondary fermentation using organic grape sugar. The wine matured on its lees for over 80 months (over 6.5 years) before disgorgement in June 2025 without added sulfur or dosage.