Assemblage Sans Année Autre Cru - NV
Domaine Nowack
- Region
- France » Champagne » Champagne AOC » Vallée de la Marne
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Domaine Nowack
- Vintage
- NV, based on 2020
- Disgorged
- 2023-05
- On lees
- ~24 months
- Grapes
- Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
- Alcohol
- 12
- Sugar
- 1
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Assemblage Sans Année (meaning "without year" in French) is a blend of 60% Pinot Meunier and 40% Chardonnay. This non-vintage Champagne captures the essence of Vandières, with fruit sourced from multiple parcels. The base wine is from the 2020 vintage, complemented by 40% reserve wines from 2012 to 2019. Fermentation is spontaneous, using only natural yeasts, and the wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and small oak barrels. The vin clair undergoes natural malolactic fermentation in the spring, without chaptalization, fining, filtering, or cold stabilization. For the secondary fermentation, the wine is aged under a crown cap using MCR (Mout Concentré Rectifié), with a final dosage of 1 g/L, resulting in a precise and terroir-driven expression.
Ratings
This bottle leaves me a bit puzzled. On one hand, it's definitely an improvement over my experience nine months ago. There are many admirable qualities: an intriguing bouquet of mould, salted nuts, bruised apples, white flowers, and a touch of sake. It has a bit of that natural wine character, but in a beautifully balanced way. There's also a vinous quality to it, with a perlage that's not overly powerful and palate that's well-structured and delicious.
On the other hand, it’s unexpectedly oxidative in style. Despite the intriguing aromas, it ultimately feels a bit simple, particularly on the palate, where the short and unconvincing aftertaste doesn’t quite live up to the initial promise. However, it does offer good value for the price, which is always a plus.
A bit shy and not convincing. A glass of this wine and it's like nothing happened. Anyways, it's fresh, clean (despite the talk about 'natural' wine-making), racy and balanced. Perlage is weak, which can be a good thing for some people. The bouquet is quite simple - notes of green apple, citrus and cookies. Need to retry.
Domaine Nowack
Domaine Nowack, located in Vandières in the Vallée de la Marne, has rapidly gained recognition as a leader of innovation and quality in the Champagne region, thanks to the visionary work of Flavien Nowack. Since joining his family's domaine in 2011, Flavien has embraced a modern approach, becoming part of a movement that emphasises the production of single-vineyard, single-variety, and single-vintage Champagnes. This approach underscores his commitment to expressing the unique terroir of Vandières with clarity and precision, which are rare in the region.
Flavien's dedication to organic farming and his insistence on harvesting grapes only at full maturity reflects his respect for nature and his desire to create wines that fully express their origin. Starting with three hectares of vineyards handed down by his father, Flavien set out to craft three distinct Champagnes, each from a different single parcel of Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Remarkably, all these parcels are situated at the same elevation within Vandières, yet they reveal striking differences in the wines, highlighting the nuances of each varietal when grown in the same terroir.
Flavien's non-interventionist philosophy extends from the vineyard to the cellar. By avoiding chaptalization (the addition of sugar to the must) and malolactic fermentation, he preserves the pure, delicate flavours of his grapes. He also relies on natural yeast from unfermented grape must for the secondary fermentation in the bottle, a technique that enhances the vinous character of his Champagnes. Additionally, Flavien bottles his wines under lower pressure than is typical for Champagne, contributing to their distinctive, vinous texture and style.