# Lieu-Dit "Sous Les Trous" Brut Nature (2022)

- **Producer:** Champagne Alexandre Grimée
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Pinot Meunier
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €83
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–11 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** orange, apple, strawberry, cherry, lemon, grapefruit, biscuit, toast, butter, brioche, walnut, almond, honey, mushroom

## About this wine

Alexandre Grimée is a true micro-grower who describes himself as an artisan of life on one hectare. Born in 1988 and the grandson of a winegrower, he took over his family's tiny estate in Azy-sur-Marne in 2010. Managing every single viticultural and cellar task entirely by hand, Grimée treats his small estate like a personal garden. He began bottling and vinifying his own grapes in 2014, quickly establishing a cult following among Champagne purists. The single plot 'Sous les Trous' is located mid-slope on the steep natural amphitheater hills of Bonneil, featuring mature vines planted in 1973 by his grandparents.

## Interesting facts

- The single plot 'Sous les Trous' features mature Pinot Meunier vines planted in 1973 by Alexandre Grimée's grandparents.
- Alexandre Grimée manages his entire estate of just one hectare completely by hand, describing himself as an 'artisan of life'.
- Production is extremely limited, with some vintages yielding fewer than 1,700 bottles globally.

## Food pairing

This zero-dosage Champagne thrives on its high acidity, rich vinous texture, and deep mineral core. It cuts through rich, fatty proteins like pork and sweetbreads, while its autolytic complexity and savory depth beautifully complement earthy mushrooms and aged cheeses.

## Wine making process

Alexandre Grimée adapts his vinification completely to the natural profile of each vintage. Only the heart of the press (cœur de cuvée) is preserved for this single-plot Pinot Meunier. Fermentation is triggered spontaneously by indigenous yeasts. While earlier vintages were fermented and aged in stainless steel, the 2022 vintage was vinified and aged entirely in oak barrels of 228L and 350L. Malolactic fermentation is decided year-by-year based on natural acid profiles. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, undergoing extensive lees aging before being disgorged with zero dosage as a Brut Nature.