Soutiran, Grand Cru Brut Millesime, Champagne AOC, 2018, in tube
Tasting Notes
Champagne has an attractive pale golden color.
The taste of champagne is full, delicate, round, rich, concentrated and well structured, with dominant notes of ripe pear, quince and minerals, bright acidity and long, harmonious, salty aftertaste.
The exquisite aroma of champagne is replete with multifaceted hints of yellow and red fruits, fresh pastries and honeycomb, combined with intense mineral notes.
Champagne is recommended to be served as an aperitif, to seafood, gourmet dishes and snacks.
Interesting Facts
Soutiran, Grand Cru Brut Millesime is an exceptional champagne made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which were taken in equal proportions by winemakers. Although more than 320 villages make up the Champagne AOC, only 17 are eligible for the Grand Cru title. These exceptional terroirs make up only 12% of the total area of the appellation, which makes them even more unique. The grapes grown in Ambonne are highly prized by winemakers. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in the hills facing south and southeast, which guarantees abundant exposure to sunlight and warmth. Local chalky soils give the wines an expressive minerality, which is expressed in salty and iodized notes.
The crop is harvested by hand for about 10 days. After pressing using a membrane press, the resulting wort is fermented in steel vats at a controlled temperature, and a small part (10%) in a large oak barrel. All wines go through a malolactic fermentation stage. Wines fermented in a barrel are aged on the lees before mixing. The sediment is stirred for a certain time, depending on the profile of the year. Partial aging in oak barrels lends complexity, richness and exceptional softness to the cuvée. Before bottling, the base wine is cold stabilized and filtered with clay filters. After bottling, the cuvée is kept on the lees in the cellars of the winery for 7 years. After the disgorgement (removing the sediment from the bottle), a dosage liqueur is added, the amount of which is set annually after a series of laboratory tests and blind tastings. Harmony and balance are the main elements that the tasting committee strives for. The cuvée is then aged for an average of another 6 months before selling, this period ensures the uniformity of the champagne. Vintage 2012 will reveal its full potential in 2020-2035.
Producer's description
Soutiran is a small champagne house based in Ambonne and owned by the Sutiran family. In 1936, Gerard Sutiran, after completing his military career, returned to viticulture, which he had been taught in his youth. He inherited the vineyards of his former mentor and expanded his holdings thanks to the inheritance of his wife Solange. Thus, in the 1950s, he became the first to use his name on champagne bottles. In 1969, Alain, the eldest of 4 children of Gerard, together with his wife Roseline created his own winery. They created their own range of champagnes called Soutiran Pelletier. In 1989, after completing her studies, the eldest daughter Alena Valerie joined the family business. She took over the management and development of the business. She proposed to rename the company to Champagne Soutiran in order to facilitate communication with export markets. In 1999, Valerie's husband Patrick Renaud joined the business. At first he also went into commercial activity, but after a few years he realized that it was not his and took over the production aspects and the question of developing new formulations.
The goal of the company is to reveal all the richness and variety of champagne wines. Faced with the standardization of tastes dictated by mass production, Sutiran winemakers put the value of the terroir and the "artisanal know-how" at the head of their philosophy and production methods, which make champagne truly unique and inimitable. The trust of professionals, the enthusiasm of consumers, recognition from critics and the press encourage the company to continue to follow the path of the singularity. Time is one of the most important resources in the production of great cuvées and the company does not spare it. It takes 5 to 8 years for the cuvée to mature in the cellars of the winery. This long ripening period, which goes far beyond conventional practice, reveals the structure of wines and their true nature. The winery uses both steel containers and oak barrels for vinification to add complexity to the cuvée. The reserve wines of Sutiran are a real treasure of the region, as they guarantee the unchanged cuvée style. Reserve wines are stored in very large stainless steel vats to keep them fresh for a long time. Young wines of new harvests are constantly added to this vat, so the richness of old wines is combined with the dynamism of the current year. Thanks to this know-how, rich and savory cuvées are born, in the very essence of which the expression of terroir is woven.
Champagne house Soutiran owns 6 hectares of vineyards, most of which are located in the village of Ambonne. Several Premier Cru vineyards are spread across Trepail, Chigny les Roses, Ludes and Chamery. The company also buys grapes grown in vineyards, partially under its management, not far from its estates. The vineyards exclusively use sustainable farming methods. After soil analysis, areas that lack nutrients are enriched with organic fertilizers. Tillage reduces the need for herbicides.
