Julien Prelat 'Les Cotes' Blanc de Gris Extra Brut, Champagne, France (2022 Base)

Julien Prélat is a small, highly individual grower Champagne (récoltant-manipulant) based in Celles-sur-Ource, Côte des Bar. He took over three generations of family vigneron tradition and established his own domaine in 2000, later launching his own label. The estate is tiny, about 2.5 hectares according to the Guide Hachette.  What makes Prélat especially interesting is his single-parcel, single-vintage, single-variety philosophy. Rather than blending wines to create a consistent house style, he says his philosophy is essentially not to blend: each cuvée is built around a particular year, parcel and grape variety, allowing the individual terroir to come through.

“Les Côtes” Blanc de Gris Extra Brut — 2022 Base is one of the domaine’s most unusual and limited Champagnes: 100% Pinot Gris, from a tiny 23-are parcel planted in 2017 on the Kimmeridgian soils of the Côte des Bar. Prélat’s single-variety, parcel-focused approach lets the normally overlooked Champagne grape show a surprisingly rich, vinous personality.

The 2022-base bottling is textured and concentrated, with ripe apricot, almond, citrus and chalky minerality, balanced by fresh acidity and a saline finish. It was fermented in stainless steel and aged in bottle under cork, with 3 g/L dosage. Only 2,395 bottles were produced from the 2022 harvest, making this a particularly rare Prélat cuvée.