# Cuvée Brut Réserve (NV)

- **Producer:** Champagne Doyard
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €45
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, pear, lemon, grapefruit, pastry, brioche, biscuit, butter, honey, almond, hazelnut

## About this wine

The Bernard Doyard Cuvée Brut Réserve is a Non-Vintage Champagne produced by the Doyard family, whose winemaking history dates back to the 17th century. The estate cultivates 10 hectares of vineyards, primarily in Vertus (Premier Cru) and Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs, including Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. The wine is predominantly made from Chardonnay. The Doyard family employs a 'non-dogmatic' approach to biodynamic farming and emphasizes low yields. Their winemaking philosophy centers on precision and expressing the minerality of their chalky terroir, with wines undergoing extended aging on lees.

## Interesting facts

- Doyard is a 'Master of Chardonnay', focusing heavily on this single grape.
- Vineyards are worked by horse in a nod to traditional methods.
- Vines average 45 years old, contributing to wine complexity.
- Wines age for a minimum of 48 months on lees.

## Food pairing

The wine's minerality and bright acidity cut through the richness of creamy sauces and fatty proteins, while its complexity complements the subtle flavors of seafood and delicate poultry. The chalky notes can echo the salinity of oysters.

## Wine making process

The Bernard Doyard Cuvée Brut Réserve is produced using Chardonnay grapes from the Doyard estate's vineyards. Each vineyard parcel is vinified separately, with fermentation taking place in both stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is sometimes employed. The wine then undergoes an extended aging process of at least 48 months on its lees. The estate practices biodynamic farming, avoiding herbicides and pesticides, and sometimes utilizes horse-drawn plows in the vineyards. Yields are intentionally kept low.