Champagne Carré Frères Le Champ des Maladries 2021

Champagne Carré Frères Le Champ des Maladries 2021 is made by Domaine Carré Frères, a grower-producer with family roots going back to the 1890s. The grapes come from two parcels: Champ Jeanvrai in Trépail Premier Cru, planted in 1964, and Les Maladries in Verzy Grand Cru, planted in 2005. The wine is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, designed to balance finesse with structure.

It was fermented and aged for about eleven months in oak barrels, with malolactic fermentation completed, and then matured further in bottle on the lees for around thirty months before being disgorged in December 2024. The dosage is extra-brut, around 1.2 g/L, keeping the style dry and taut. Production is very limited, at just under six thousand bottles, with a small number of magnums also made.

On the nose it shows white flowers, black fruit, gentle oak sweetness and a hint of spice. The palate is fine and lively, with a chalky minerality and saline finish, lifted by notes of grapefruit and blackcurrant. It carries a sense of precision and tension while remaining generous in texture.