Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Aurélie Masson and her husband, Loïc Barrat founded their domaine in 2010, farming seven hectares of vines organically in the Côte de Sézanne. Initially selling their fruit to a local cooperative, it was not long before they saw the potential of their sites for producing excellent Champagne de terroir. Aurélie and Loïc converted their property for production, investing in cuverie fitted with a Coquard press. Each parcel is vinified individually, either in stainless steel or neutral oak, allowing Aurélie to have a clear expression of each parcel before assemblage. The elegant profile of these wines is a testament to the couple’s craftsmanship. There is very little intervention during winemaking and much of the production is manual, including disgorgement. We’re very excited to be working with genuinely artisanal Champagnes that are elegant expressions of the Sézannais terroir.

Les Volies is a cuvée which Aurélie only makes in certain vintages, using equal proportions of Pinot and Chardonnay from vines averaging 40 years old. For this bottling, she uses only the first press fractions, or the cœur de cuvée. Vins clairs are fermented in 600L demi-muids with nine months ageing on the lees.  For Les Volies, Aurélie also extends the ageing in bottle to 36 months before disgorgement.

Tasting Notes : Baked apple, pastry, roasted almonds. Intense, with remarkable concentration on the palate and persistence on the finish.

Food Pairing : Champagne is an excellent match for grilled mackerel - both have enough intensity of flavour not to overwhelm the other, and the acidity of the Champagne cuts nicely through the mackerel's oiliness.