Pinot Meunier, despite its current moment in the sun, despite the fact that it is the second-most widely planted variety after Pinot Noir in Champagne, and despite its high regard by such luminaries as Krug, Egly-Ouriet, Georges Laval and Françoise Bedel, still doesn’t seem to get the respect it deserves. Late budding and early to ripen it is frequently planted in less auspicious sites providing a vivacious fruitiness combined with a bright acidity. It is though to age faster than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but this is belied by anyone who appreciates the richness of Krug, or the depth and complexity of Bedel. The Côte de Bar, being Pinot country, isn’t just a bastion of Pinot Noir but of Meunier as well. Davy Dosnon has created a new cuvée, Ephémère to showcase this variety – one of the very few mono-varietal, Pinot Meunier from Champagne.
