The Exquisite Micro-Cuvées of Clément Perseval
U K E XC LUSI V E
Three or so years back, I was given a tip-off by a sommelier buddy
in Paris about a whizz-kid doing magical things on a small plot
in Chamery, on the northern flank of the Montagne de Reims.
A rendezvous was hastily arranged and I arrived in Champagne on
a frigid January day, the streets of the little village were thick with
snow and the bare vineyards behind were carpeted white.
Young Clément had recently inherited three hectares of premier cru
vineyards and was preparing to release his first collection of wines.
Three hectares is not a lot, meaning allocations are tiny – there’s
never enough to go around and the scarcity of stock has made them
into something of an insider’s wine, hence most of you never ever get
to see or taste them.
An old ramshackle stone barn, across from Clément’s only slightly
less ramshackle farmhouse, has been improvised as a winemaking
facility: barrels sit stacked between ancient wooden feeding-stalls
for livestock. This is not the Champagne of Krug and Dom Pérignon,
the gleam of polished stainless steel and computer-controlled
fermentations is entirely absent. No, this is the ‘other’ Champagne,
inspired by Selosse (with whom Clément worked) and the artisans
of La France profonde. Fermentations are natural, élevage is lengthy
and in old Burgundy pièces. No sugar is added post-disgorgement,
although a little is carried over from the second fermentation, so
these are ‘Brut Nature’ – a little drier than a typical Grand Marque
but not as dry as an Extra Brut. Vineyards are worked by hand, with
help from Clément’s pair of beautiful Auvergne draft horses, whom
he dotes upon as much as he does his beloved Champagnes.
Simon Davies, October 2016
Clément’s vineyards run from the top of the slope, where the soil clings thinly to the chalk
bed-rock, downhill through a mid-slope of pure sand and finally below to deeper soils rich with
clay. Each section was originally planted with different combinations of the holy-trinity of
Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The top of the hill is Chardonnay solo in
excelsis; mid-slope it is joined by the Pinots and on the clay, just Noir and Meunier remain.
Perseval bottles each of the three terroirs separately, all three are vivid renderings of their place of
origin: deep, flavoursome and uncommonly vinous. Considering their rather ‘alternative’ origins
it’s surprising just how beautifully focussed and accessible these wines are.
These releases are based on the 2013 vintage – a brilliant year in Champagne – with varying
proportions of reserve wines from 2011 and 2012. The wines were bottled in 2014 and disgorged
in July 2015, meaning they’ve had nearly 18 months post-disgorgement and are drinking
fantastically well now but with the ability to cellar well for a decade.
These come packed as 12x75cl but please ask if you would prefer six bottles.
N.V. 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs
Price in bond case
£290.00
The Blanc de Blanc is citrus-Chardonnay in its purest form: lime blossom and zest with wonderful
intensity and ‘cut’ in the middle, coupled with Clement’s trademark depth of generous fruit.
N.V. 1er Cru Brut
£290.00
The 1er Cru Brut from the mid-slope sand is mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier with just 10%
Pinot Noir, this is the most ‘easy-going’ of the three with the most fabulous nose – like walking
into a French patisserie. The middle of the wine is full and rich with brilliant energy.
N.V. 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs
£290.00
Finally, the Blanc de Noirs – made from roughly half of each of the Pinots – has the most beautiful
colour: bronzed straw with plenty of red fruit pinot character and a deep vinous middle which
elevates it way above frivolous fizz.
Clément Perseval 1er Cru ‘Discovery Case’
£290.00
To make things even more interesting, we’ve assembled some mixed cases so you can taste
each of the terroirs: 4 bottles each of the above.