# Champagne Hervé Rafflin 1er Cru La Nature'L Extra Brut (2023)

- **Producer:** Champagne Hervé Rafflin
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €50
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, pear, lemon, grapefruit, blossom, brioche, toast, butter, bread

## About this wine

Hervé Rafflin represents the fifth generation of grape growers in Ludes, a Premier Cru village in the Montagne de Reims sub-region of Champagne, where his family has cultivated vines since 1840. Taking over the 5-hectare estate in 2001, Rafflin focuses heavily on Pinot Meunier, which thrives in the chalky and limon-calcareous soils of the area. The estate transitioned to certified organic viticulture to preserve the natural vitality of its old vines, which average 30 to 40 years of age.

## Interesting facts

- The Rafflin family has been cultivating vineyards in the Montagne de Reims village of Ludes since 1840.
- Unlike most Champagne estates that prioritize Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, Rafflin's vineyards are 80% Pinot Meunier.
- This cuvée receives an ultra-low dosage of just 1.8 grams per liter of sugar.

## Food pairing

The high natural acidity and bone-dry Extra Brut style cut seamlessly through rich, creamy cheeses and fried preparations like tempura. The wine's chalky minerality echoes the natural salinity of raw shellfish and delicate raw fish preparations without overwhelming delicate flavors.

## Wine making process

La Nature'L is crafted primarily from direct-pressed cuvée juice fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for eight months. The base wine undergoes complete malolactic fermentation and is blended with reserve wines before bottling. The wine completes secondary fermentation in bottle and ages on its lees sur lattes for approximately 24 months before disgorgement. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a low dosage of 1.8 g/L Extra Brut and minimal added sulfites.