# Legrand-Latour Éocène Brut Nature [2021] (NV)

- **Producer:** Champagne Legrand-Latour
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €100
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, lime, blossom, pear, apple, brioche, toast, butter, honey, almond

## About this wine

Champagne Legrand-Latour is located in Fleury-la-Rivière in the Marne Valley, where vigneron Thibault Legrand-Latour combines organic and biodynamic viticulture with a geo-oenological philosophy. The estate's identity is shaped by its subsoil: beneath the vineyards lie hand-carved underground galleries known as La Cave aux Coquillages, filled with 45-million-year-old fossilized sea shells from an ancient tropical ocean. Managing 4.2 hectares across Marne Valley villages, Thibault crafts domain cuvées named after the distinct geological strata of his soils, expressing the subterranean heritage of the region.

## Interesting facts

- Cellars are carved 30 meters underground into 45-million-year-old fossilized sea shell strata.
- Secondary fermentation uses fresh unfermented grape juice rather than commercial sugar.
- Every bottle is manually disgorged à la volée without freezing the bottle neck.

## Food pairing

The wine's high natural acidity and bone-dry profile slice through rich, buttery textures and complement delicate ocean flavors. Its intense minerality creates a natural synergy with fresh shellfish and aged cheeses without overwhelming delicate seafood dishes.

## Wine making process

Spontaneous primary fermentation takes place in oak barrels using native yeasts, followed by 12 months of barrel aging on fine lees without fining or filtration. Secondary fermentation in bottle is initiated using fresh unfermented grape must from the subsequent harvest, avoiding commercial sugars. The wine ages sur lattes under natural cork for 30 to 42 months in cellars carved 30 meters deep into fossilized strata. Riddling and disgorgement are executed entirely by hand à la volée without neck-freezing, resulting in a bone-dry Brut Nature cuvée with zero dosage.