Champagne Barrat-Masson : Presentation of the estate and the vintages

Today, we're going to introduce you to one of our famous partner estates and winemakers in Champagne: the Barrat-Masson estate.

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Biodynamics at the heart of a superb Champagne estate 

Born in 2010, the Champagne Barrat-Masson is the life project of two wine enthusiasts: Aurélie, oenologist, and Loïc, winemaker, whose aim is to produce top-quality champagnes. To make the most of nature's riches and let their wines express themselves in a respectable way, they have chosen to grow their vines organically.

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True to form, Aurélie and Loïc renovated the old buildings of the family farmhouse and installed their press, a traditional coquard, a cuverie, a chai and a cellar. Their champagnes are produced with respect for the rhythms of nature, for the best possible quality.

 

• The vine Barrat-Masson: The vineyards of Barrat-Masson champagnes stretch over seven hectares of organically farmed land, from Villenauxe-la-Grande to Bethon, with 90% of Chardonnay and 10 % of Pinot Noir. Loïc takes over the reins of the family business, supported by Aurélie, who is a proponent of nature-friendly viticulture and is converting to organic farming. Loïc is a winegrower who knows how to protect his vines and make them more efficient through precision and quality viticulture.

 

• Winemaking Aurélie's commitment is to bring out the best in every grape, paying attention to every detail from the moment the grapes arrive at the press to the moment the bottles are dispatched. Because of the quality of the wines she produces, a coquard press has been installed in the old barn. The refined fractioning of each brand is one of the objectives of the plot of land that Aurélie wants to emphasize. Aurélie works with "cœurs de cuvée", and each parcel is vinified separately in stainless steel vats, oak barrels and demi-muids, so as to obtain a multitude of images of her parcel. Together, these blends produce precise cuvées full of character.

 

• The result of know-how Loïc and Aurélie work together to ensure that Champagne achieves the best possible taste in the most natural way. They manage to respect the natural degree of the grapes, and the musts overflow naturally, without alcohol or filtration. Wines are clarified by racking only. Selected yeasts are used by Aurélie to ensure good alcoholic fermentation and foam formation. To avoid using glycol or ice cubes, disgorging is carried out on the fly. This has no impact on either the environment or the wine, which suffers no thermal shock.

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The great Barrat-Masson vintages:

We present the finest vintages from Maison Barrat-Masson. These beautiful nuggets from the Champagne vineyards are constantly in stock on our site. That's right! We're lucky enough to be able to reserve a limited number of these fine allocations every year. But first, we'll describe them for you (then it's up to you to taste them!). PS: The dates given correspond to the latest versions of the cuvées, at the time of writing (March 2021)..

 

• Cuvée Grain d'Argile :

This cuvée comes from 80 % vines on clay and limestone terroirs, with a yield of 60hl/ha. The average age of the vines is 40 years, and they are raised in ECOCERT-certified organic viticulture. Harvesting was carried out at 70 % in 2017 and 30 % in 2016. The varietal blend is made up of 50 % of Chardonnay and 50% of Pinot. There is no dosage for this cuvée. Production is 4900 bottles of 75 cl sold in cartons of 6 bottles. Vinification consists of (70 % cuvée, 30 % tailles), without chaptalization or natural settling (40% barriques; 60% stainless steel vats). Ageing on lees lasts 9 months, with a natural cooling period, without filtration and disgorging on the fly. Aging takes place on lath for 60 months, from 3 to 6 months after disgorgement. This Champagne can be drunk young or kept for 3 to 5 years. It is best drunk at 12 degrees. It is advisable not to leave sparkling wine in a cool place for several days, as this may lead to the formation of tartar, resulting in significant effervescence.

• Cuvée Fleur De Clair :

This cuvée comes from 80 % of clay and limestone terroirs with a yield of 60hl/ha. The grapes were harvested at 100% in 2016, still organically grown. The blend of grape varieties consists of 100 % of Chardonnay, with no dosage. Production is 8000 bottles of 75 cl sold in cartons of 6 bottles. Vinification consists of 90% of cuvée with 10% of sizes without chaptalization or natural settling, with 15% of vinification in barrels and 85% in stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged on its lees for 9 months, with natural chilling, without filtration or disgorging on the fly. Aging is carried out for 30 months on lath, and ranges from 3 to 6 months after disgorgement. The wine can be drunk young, or kept for 3 to 5 years.

 

• Cuvée Les Margannes :

The grapes are 100 % organic and were harvested in 2014. It is a blend of 100 % Chardonnay with parcels from Pierre Cave and Chaillois. No dosage has been added. Production is carried out in over 1,600 75-cl bottles sold in cases of 6 bottles. No chaptalization or natural settling. Vinification takes place in 50% demi-muid and 50 % stainless steel tanks. Aged on lees for 9 months, with natural chilling, no filtration and no disgorging on the fly. It expresses a savory, finely peaty and smoky allonge. It's a champagne of character that goes well with delicate dishes, structured sauces or even cheeses. It's another vision of Chardonnay, full-bodied and complex.

 

• Cuvée Les Volies :

Harvesting took place in 2015. The blend consists of 50 % Pinot Noir and 50 % Chardonnay. No dosage is used for this cuvée. Regarding production, 1,400 75 cl bottles were distributed in 6-bottle cartons. Vinification is 100% in the heart of the cuvée (1st and 2nd greenhouse), with no chaptalization or natural settling. Fermentation takes place in 600-liter oak demi-muids, with ageing on lees for 9 months. Aged for 36 months on lath for 3 to 6 months after disgorgement. It can be drunk now or kept for 3 years.

 

• Cuvée Nuances de Cornoie :

The organic harvest was carried out in 2016 on parcels from Charmois and Colères. The blend is made up of 60 % of Chardonnay and 40 % of Pinot and is produced in over 1,500 75 cl bottles. There were 70 % of fermentation in barrel and 30 % in stainless steel, with ageing on lees for 9 months. Aging takes place on lath for 60 months, from 3 to 6 months after disgorgement. It can be drunk now or kept for 5 years.

 

• Cuvée La Grande Homée Rosé de Saignée :

This is a champagne made from Pinot Noir grapes only. The grapes were harvested organically in 2018, with no added dosage. Production is 1500 bottles for bottle sizes over 0.75 l. The grapes are harvested by hand, and sorted in the vineyard to select the ripest bunches for best color extraction. The grapes are de-stemmed without crushing, and macerated for 24 hours. Fractionation is carried out at 100% of run-off juice, without chaptalization, natural settling and fermentation at 16 degrees in stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged on fine lees for 5 months. Bottling is done by hand, with disgorging on the fly. Aging takes place on lath for 18 months, at least 3 months after disgorging. We recommend drinking it young to preserve its fruity character.

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to Barrat Masson Champagne, and look out for our other articles on our partner estates. You can also discover the entire Barrat-Masson range on our website: 

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