Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee NV

The Premiere Cuvee is a very personal interpretation of the whole region, through the selection of 35 of the 320 crus of champagne.

It is the flagship of the BRUNO PAILLARD style.
A top quality wine, the Première Cuvée has to survive any harvest whether rich or poor.

Crus
More than 30 Crus, the composition of which is a house secret.

The blend
Exclusively first pressing – the purest juice – Pinot Noir (45%), Chardonnay (33%) and Pinot Meunier (22%), part of which (20%) was in barrel for the first fermentation.

Reserve wines
A blend of 25 vintages, since 1985; up to 50% of the final blend.

Ageing
Ageing is longer than the legal requirement; three years sur lie, then a minimum of a further five months after disgorgement.

Dosage
Extra brut, very low dosage, less than 6g/L. This creates a very pure, very authentic champagne. (For the record, the “extra brut” denotes a sugar level of up to 6g/L).

Tasting
by Bruno Paillard

EYE The golden straw colour reveals a high presence of chardonnay and the exclusive use of the first pressing. The fine bubbles are due to a strict selection of the best grapes, perfectly controlled temperature in the cellar and very long ageing.

NOSE The primary aromas reveal the citrus fruits of Chardonnay: lime and grapefruit.
Then the red fruits aromas of Pinot Noir appear: redcurrant, raspberry, morello cherries. When left to open up in the glass, the wine shows hints of dried fruits, sometimes exotic, from Pinot Meunier.

PALATE Lively and vivacious, thanks to a low dosage, the aromas on the nose are echoed in the mouth. Primary flavours of citrus, almonds, and toasted bread, very soon joined by redcurrant jelly but also dark fruits like cherry, fig and blackberry.

Whilst the wine opens up in the glass, and gets warmer, it expresses light plum and pear flavours. The palate is full, quite long with a very clean finish.