Jérôme Prévost LA CLOSERIE Jérôme Prévost LA CLOSERIE LES BEGUINES CHAMPAGNE EXTRA BRUT LB20

Description

The Champagne Extra Brut Les Béguines LB 20 by Jérôme Prévost LA CLOSERIE has surpassed itself once again. Aromas of orange peel, fresh fruit, red berries and peach, mixed with hints of walnuts and marzipan. On the finish warm spices and hay. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, Les Béguines LC 19 by Jérôme Prévost LA CLOSERIE is a deep and complete Champagne enlivened by a soft mousse. It concludes with a long and savory finish. One of the best Prévost releases of the decade.

Jérôme Prévost and his Champagne La Closerie cellar are part of a coalition of small producers who produce intense vinous champagnes, transparent to the terroir. Rather than following Champagne’s traditional model of blending grapes, vintages and vineyards to produce a “standardized” product, Jérôme and his colleagues “Champagne Renegades” produce terroir-specific bottlings dedicated primarily to one grape and one vintage.

Jérôme inherited a two-hectare parcel known as Les Béguines from his grandmother, who grew up on the same road in the village of Gueux, in the Montagne de Reims, where the winery and family home are located. In Les Béguines, Pinot Meunier reigns supreme, but there are plants of Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay scattered throughout the parcel, which account for about 5% of the final blend. Also, while a single vintage dominates, Jérôme tends to assemble into reserve wines of 10-15%.

Jérôme’s grandmother had previously rented the vines for others to cultivate, until 1987, when Jérôme took over and started selling the grapes directly to the négociants. In the mid-90s he began working with Jacques Selosse and in 1998, with the help of Anselme Selosse, he began to produce small quantities of wine in the Selosse cellars in Avize. He continued to produce his wine there until 2001, when he moved the production to Gueux. Today, a modern, minimalist house and winery sit on the edge of the vineyard.

Jérôme was certainly influenced by some of Anselme Selosse’s unique techniques, including meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard, with extremely low yields (around half the legal limit!) And no chemical additives used in his agriculture. Like Anselme, Jérôme likes to play by his rules and can be a bit contrarian when it comes to some of his techniques.