J Vignier, Champagne Silexus Sezannensis Brut, NV [2016] SO041126 Salvo Foti Fermented without flor

Fermented without flor

Mathieu Vallée's red is a different creature from the wines of Chinon or Bourgueil: lighter-footed

The 2023 vintage produced wines with purity

is a Premier Cru vineyard celebrated for its cooler microclimate and limestone-rich soils

but it’s the structure that defines it—tight

J Vignier, Champagne Silexus Sezannensis Brut, NV [2016] SO041126 Salvo Foti Fermented without florThe name says it all: 'Silexus' for the flint (silex) that runs through these south facing slopes, 'Sezannensis' for the Cote de Sezanne, the underrated pocket of Champagne just south of the more famous Cote des Blancs. This is grower Champagne from the Vignier family, whose roots in the region go back centuries, and it's 100% Chardonnay off flinty soils over Cretaceous chalk. Vinified and aged in stainless steel with long lees time, it's built to