Brut 1er Cru Vintage, Champagne Collet 2016
Silver Medal, IWC 2024; Silver Medal, Decanter 2024
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Why this wine
Seven years in the chalk cellars is well beyond what most vintage Champagne is given, and it shows in the gingerbread and brioche depth sitting over the citrus. A blend of 12 Premier and Grand Cru villages from the oldest cooperative in the region. The 2016 was a difficult growing season that ended with small yields of high quality.
At a glance
- Grape
- Pinot Noir 60%, Chardonnay 40%
- Region
- Champagne, France
- Alcohol
- 12.50%
- Body
- Medium
- Acidity
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Long (10-20 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Seafood, Poultry & Pork, Cheese
How it tastes
Lemon and brioche on the nose with a note of delicate gingerbread, then a dynamic palate of citrus, lime and gooseberry closing on a mineral, saline note. Medium-bodied and rich from long ageing but taut with it — real tension, bright acidity, a persistent finish. Pinot Noir 60%, Chardonnay 40%.
The producer
Champagne Collet is the oldest cooperative in the region, dating back to 1921, and the Art Deco packaging is a direct nod to that era. The base is Aÿ, in the heart of Champagne, and the growers represented hold vineyards mainly on Premier and Grand Cru sites. This blend draws on 12 Premier and Grand Cru villages: Pinot Noir at 60% from Mailly-Champagne, Tours-sur-Marne, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Verzy and Pierry for structure and power, Chardonnay at 40% from Vertus and Avize for richness and softness, with Villers-Marmery Premier Cru adding a mineral dimension and a touch of smoke. The 2016 growing season was a difficult one — frost, mildew and a humid spring — but the weather warmed through summer and the grapes reached good maturity; yields were reduced and quality was high. The Millésime 2016 then aged at least seven years in Collet's centennial cellars, cut deep into the chalk.
Food and drinking
Serve at 9–11°C. Grilled turbot, scallops with brown butter, roast poussin, or a well-aged Comté. Drinking well now and will hold for five to ten years; no decanting needed. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.