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Francis Boulard Brut Nature Les Rachais 2015 750ml
Case of 6
OUT OF STOCKPre-arrival
Sample image only.Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering, the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description.
SKU 933416
$665.70/case
$110.95/bottle
Tariffs included
Out of stock
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The 2015 Brut Nature Les Rachais (100% Chardonnay) is fabulous. Rich, ample and expansive in feel, the 2015 possesses notable depth from start to finish. Apricot, white truffle, baked apple tart, spice and chamomile all caress the palate. The 2015 feels open-knit and generous, no doubt partly because time has softened some of the contours. Clean mineral notes appear on the finish. Bottled with no dosage.
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
France, often regarded as the heart of the wine world, boasts a rich history, diverse terroirs, and a captivating variety of grape varietals. From the renowned vineyards of Bordeaux to the picturesque landscapes of Burgundy, France offers a wine lover’s dream journey. Whether you’re new to the world of wine or a seasoned enthusiast looking […]
The beautiful rolling hillsides of the Champagne region of France have, for hundreds of years, been producing many of the world's most famous wines. The sparkling white wines to come out of Champagne's prestigious wineries have conquered the world, and are drank in celebration across the globe. The vast majority of the region is under vine, and grows predominantly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varietals, which are usually blended together by master wine-makers in order to make their recognizable and widely loved produce. The north-easterly region of Champagne has a relatively cool climate, and quite a lot of rainfall, making it far from ideal for ripening grapes. However, the presence of heavily forested areas in the region helps maintain a balanced temperature, and the generations of expertise the wineries hold clearly produces excellent results in spite of the climatic problems.
VM94pts
Vinous Media
The 2015 Brut Nature Les Rachais (100% Chardonnay) is fabulous. Rich, ample and expansive in feel, the 2015 possesses notable depth from start to finish. Apricot, white truffle, baked apple tart, spice and chamomile all caress the palate. The 2015 feels open-knit and generous, no doubt partly because time has softened some of the contours. Clean mineral notes appear on the finish. Bottled with no dosage.
Winery Notes
100% Chardonnay. Les Rachais is the pinnacle of the Boulard wines, coming as it does from the original family estate parcel planted with selection massale cuttings in 1964. Francis first started making this zero-dosage vintage Blanc de Blancs in 2002, at the time under the Raymond Boulard label. The Les Rachais plot was the subject of Francis’s first experiment with biodynamic farming; so successful was the experiment that Francis and his daughter Delphine split over it with the rest of the family in 2009, taking their rights to 50 ares of Les Rachais with them. It is now certified-organic and practicing biodynamic.
The soils here are notably sandy, with two meters of sand over limestone mother rock, Interestingly, the legal name of the vineyard is L'Heurtebise. Because this name is not unique in Champagne, Francis decided to call the wine "Rachet" in order to distinguish this special parcel. But besides being a pruning term, “Rachet” is also the name of a lieu-dit in the Aube region of Champagne, so the government wouldn’t allow it for the Boulard bottling. The compromise was the phonetically identical "Rachais".
The fruit is harvested at high ripeness in order to achieve balance with little to no dosage. The hand-harvested bunches are gently pressed, and only first-press juice is used. It is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, in small oak barrels. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and remains on its lees in barrel for a full year, with monthly batônnage in accordance with the lunar calendar. It is then bottled with must from the new vintage—rather than with the traditional liqueur di tirage normally used in Champagne—in accordance with the lunar calendar.
