Champagne Vouette et Sorbée Extrait 2014 (Disg. Oct 2023)

Extrait takes its name from the French for extract, which is precisely what this is—a barrel’s worth of wine extracted from a single vintage. In fact, this is a blend drawn from the domaine’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay barrels, the composition of which follows the percentage of each variety harvested that year. So, while it generally comes in at around 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the final blend depends on the harvest. Furthermore, the plots that supply this cuvée are not set in stone; Gautherot simply selects his favourite parcels by taste, although the Chardonnay almost always comes from Biaunes and the Pinot Noir often comes from the Portlandian Sorbée vineyard. The wine spends eight to nine years on lees before being disgorged by hand. It is a super wine that, like all Vouette et Sorbée cuvées, really comes into its own at the table with food.