Marie Courtin – Meticulous Champagne

Marie Courtin – Introduction

Marie Courtin is a tiny, but amazing, Champagne producer in the emerging Cote de Bar area of the appellation. It is named after the grandmother of Dominique Moreau who, along with her husband Roland Piollot, are responsible for some of the most exciting Champagnes in the region.

Their vineyards mainly grace a south-facing slope looking down at the headwaters of the Seine River where it starts its journey towards Paris.

Their vineyards are managed biodynamically using their own carefully created fertilisers. The area devoted to the Marie Courtin Chapagnes is tiny at only around 2 hectares.

Dominique Moreau works very closely with her husband Roland Piollot whose wines we discuss on a separate page here.

Marie Courtin Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2018

This is a new wine for Dominique made from three of the four white grapes allowable in the Champagne appellation, namely Chardonnay(60%), the very rare Arbane (5%) and Pinot Blanc (35%). The only white grape they do not have available is Petit Meslier. The fact that it is a white wine made from white grapes is the reason they label it as a Blanc de Blancs.

The differences with this Champagne are two-fold. The first is that they have not produced a Champagne with this combination of grapes before. The second is that the wine was matured in an amphora rather than barrels or tanks which is what they normally use.

The wine was allowed to mature in the amphora for almost three years before being disgorged and bottled in June 2021. There is no dosage added to this very dry Champagne.

Marie Courtin Champagne Blanc de Noirs 2018

This is a new wine for Dominique made from direct pressed Pinot Noir. The fact that it is a white wine made from red grapes is the reason they label it as a Blanc de Noirs.

The wine was matured in an amphora rather than barrels or tanks which is what they normally use.

The wine was allowed to mature in the amphora for almost three years before being disgorged and bottled in June 2021. There is no dosage added to this extra dry Champagne.

Marie Courtin Champagne Cuvée Présence 2016

Présence is a blended Champagne which is unique for Marie Courtin cuvées. Normally, each of their cuvees is made from a single grape variety.

This wine is a blend of two-thirds Chardonnay and one third Pinot Blanc to which no sulphites and no sugar (dosage) has been added. The wine was fermented in tank.

It is interesting to have a look at the lot number inscribed in the glass at the bottom of the bottle (you have to look quite hard)! You will see the following code – LP16D0921ND.

This code indicates that the vintage is 2016 and that no dosage (ND) was added. The middle part (D0921) indicates that the wine was disgorged in September 2021.

Marie Courtin Champagne Efflorescence 2017

Marie Courin’s Efflorescence is made from 100% Pinot Noir and hence is classified as a Blanc de Noir. The wine spent over 5 years in old wooden barrels and then bottled before being disgorged in March 2023.

This wine has had no dosage added.

Marie Courtin Champagne Résonance 2019

The Marie Courtin Resonance 2019 is a lovely Champagne made from grapes picked from vines that grow at the top of the slope where Dominique’s tiny parcel of vines lies. The vines that have been grown from cutting selected using the sélection massale process from existing vines on the property.

The wine was made from 100% Pinot Noir and hence is classified as a Blanc de Noir (namely a white wine made from red/black grapes). After being pressed directly the juice was transferred to tank where it underwent natural fermentation.

The secondary fermentation is carried out using yeasts that Dominique cultivates locally to preserve the effect of terroir rather than using commercial varieties.

The wine was disgorged in December 2021, no dosage was added and is rated as Extra Brut. The term Extra Brut can only be displayed on a Champagne label if it has a very low level of residual sugar in the range 0-6 grams of sugar per litre.

Marie Courtin Champagne Eloquence 2017

The Eloquence is an extra dry Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, picked from vines that have been grown from a sélection massale from the property. The vines have been tended using both organic and biodynamic approaches. Dominique is certified for both organic and biodynamic viticulture.

The wine was matured for over 4 years (fermented in old barrels) before being disgorged in September 2021. There was no dosage added.

The name Eloquence reflects the wine – it is very persuasive, you only need a sip to make you realise you are drinking something very special!

Marie Courtin Champagne Cuvée Concordance 2017

Another exceptional biodynamic Champagne from Dominique Moreau. This one comes from Pinot Noir vines and is therefore classified as a Blanc de Noir. The vines are 50 years old and grow in the famous Kimmeridgean limestone on a slope that faces east.

The wine matured in a tank for three years before being bottled without the addition of any sulphites. It was disgorged in May 2022 and had no dosage.

Marie Courtin Champagne Cuvée Indulgence 2018

Indulgence is a rosé de maceration which is traditional in the Cote des Bar in the south of Champagne where the vineyards of Dominique are situated.

The grapes were trodden by foot (foulage au pieds) to extract the juice and the fermentation occurred very rapidly. The maceration was only carried out for about four days before the juice was removed. The grape variety for this wine is Pinot Noir.

The resulting Champagne is a deeply pink wine of some intensity and lots of poise and grace. It is a wine that you want to keep on sipping until you realise that it has disappeared!

The 2018 Cuvée was disgorged in August 2021 and had no dosage.

Marie Courtin Coteaux Champenois Blanc 2019

Dominique and Roland have produced a still wine from the Coteaux Champenois appellation which is a sub-appellation in the Champagne region famous for the still wines produced here.

The Coteaux Champenois appellation rules allow the production of red, white and rosé wines from the same seven grape varieties as in Champagne, namely Arbane, Chardonnay, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir with the first four being white grapes, one being grey and the last two red. The two red grapes can be direct pressed to produce white wine as is the case with this wine.

This wine is derived from Pinot Noir grapes that are 40 years old and which benefit from southern exposure. The wine was direct pressed to create white juice then naturally vinified and aged in two amphora, one of which was made from clay and the other from sandstone.

It was aged in the amphora before bottling without the addition of any sulphites and without fining or filtering.

It is a very sophisticated wine with racy, yet controlled, acidity and great length. Try it with just about any food.

This wine is certified organic through CERTIPAQ FR-BIO-09. The vines are also managed biodynamically.

We also suggest that you have a look at the Piollot Web site where you will find interesting facts about their vineyards and methods of production. Click this link.