TANDEM

Brut Fleury-la-Rivière Champagne M & G Heucq NV

IN STOCK
Grapes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Colour White
Origin France, Champagne
Village Fleury-la-Rivière
ABV 12.5%

Tandem because: two grape varieties (50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir), two communes (Fleury-la-Rivière plus a little bit of Damery), two vinification methods (barrel and stainless steel), and two people (Guillaume and Melody Heucq).
Something a little brioche/toffee/chopped nuts about this nose. Nice back-of-palate presence. The acidity has very slightly tannic texture and the bubbles are small but sharp. Lots of texture and on the end, the comforting taste of apple pie, cream and a squeeze of lemon.
Drinking range: 2024 - 2027 Rating: 16.5 Tamlyn Currin - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2024)

*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.

75% Chardonnay from 2014, 25% Pinot Noir. 80% stainless steel, 20% barrel. 60 months sur lattes. Dosage 8 g/l. 3,500 bottles.
Almond flower. Yummy, chewy fruit and density; packed with florals and grilled grapefruit. Some white nuts. Real persistence and interest now but with the capacity to evolve in bottle.
Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 16.5 + Tamlyn Currin - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2023)

As Guillaume puts it, this is a marriage of two grape varieties (50% each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), two vinification methods - barrel and stainless steel, and of course two people - Guillaume and Melody. Very immediately delicious, lovely balance and quite full, on the gourmand side of Chardonnay, creamy with just an appetising little saline touch. 3,500 bottles made from the base: 2014. Dosage is 5g/L. Disgorged: July, 2021.L&S (Oct 2021)

The 2014 Extra Brut Tandem is half Chardonnay, half Pinot Meunier from Fleury-la-Rivière and Damery, made in stainless steel and oak. An initial note of lemony butter soon reveals notions of chalk that lend both dimension and a slightly astringent structure that call for food. Fruit fills this structure out generously with notions of plum, but this really is about soil, depth and beautiful length on a slender body with enticing lemony, salty length. Dosage is 5gr/L. Disgorged: March, 2022. Drinking range: 2023 - 2035 Rating: 93 Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous.com (Nov 2023)

Champagne M & G Heucq

A five-hectare family vineyard in the attractive village of Fleury-La-Rivière in the Marne valley, a site with a very specific subsoil of 45 million-year-old sandy chalk and clay, which has the peculiarity of being stuffed with fossil shells of impressive abundance and dimensions.

The Heucq family have been vignerons for at least four generations. In 1979 François and Véronique inherited part of the family holdings, and François installed a press and became a récoltant-manipulant. In 2019, their son Guillaume and his wife Melody took over with enthusiasm, brim full of new ideas including, vinification by parcel, vinification in barrel (30%), and the creation of their own marque 'M & G Heucq'.

Nearly all the vineyard is in Fleury-La-Rivière, and it averages 35 years old. They have been HVE3 certified since 2020. Guillaume describes his vines as 'pampered', with minimal inputs, grassed over and ploughed under the rows. Treatments are organic where possible - he estimates 80%. The object is to pick perfect grapes and press them gently in order to realise their three blended cuvées and four cuvées parcellaires. The wines are given a dose of SO2 under the press and then fermented using a mix of indigenous and selected yeasts, then matured on the lees in a reductive state, so that they do not need further SO2 until bottling, and this he keeps to the bare minimum. By far the largest cuvée is the 'Fossile' blend, with two of the parcel cuvées being only 500 bottles each. Guillaume won the prize from the Jeunes Talents du Champagne group of qualitatively-minded young vignerons for this first release of 'Fossile' in 2021.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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