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Champagne Clandestin

Benoit Doussot, a Meursault-trained winemaker who has worked at Vouette for several years alongside Bertrand and Hélène, has opened up shop next door to Vouette with his own micro-negociant estate […]

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Champagne Clandestin

Benoit Doussot, a Meursault-trained winemaker who has worked at Vouette for several years alongside Bertrand and Hélène, has opened up shop next door to Vouette with his own micro-negociant estate called Clandestin.  The estate focuses on small, out-of-the-way parcels and expositions (clandestin means “hidden” or “secret”) that many traditional winemakers eschew. The parcels, Pinot Noir on Kimmeridean limestone and Chardonnay on Portlandian limestone, are farmed organically and the fruit is harvested by hand.

After pressing the wine is aged in French oak barrels following closely the training in Meursault that Benoit received before moving north to Champagne.  The Champagnes appeal to purists with lovely minerality, cut, and precision.  Because of the insistence on harvesting perfectly ripe grapes (which is not generally the case in Champagne), the wines can be bottled with no dosage, giving room for the oceanic terroir to really shine through.  These are show-stopping Champagnes of the highest order.

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Champagne, France
  • Location
    Champagne, France
  • Primary Appellation
    Champagne
  • Proprietor
    Bertrand Gautherot & Benoit Doussot
  • Winemaker
    Bertrand Gautherot & Benoit Doussot
  • Size / Elevation
    1.8 hectares / 300 meters
  • Age of Vines
    20-35 years
  • Farming
    Certified organic
  • Varieties
    Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
  • Cellar
    Whole cluster direct press in traditional basket press, natural yeast fermentation in neutral 350 & 500L French oak barrels, 15 months aging sur latte, bottle non-dosé.
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