NV Yann Alexandre Roche Mere Brut Nature 750 ml

Brut, more or less, means dry. To wear the Brut label, finished Champagnes must contain residual sugar of less than 12 grams per liter—a small but meaningful amount. 

Brut Nature wines—also known as Brut Zero—feature no dosage at all. No sugar is added to the wine before bottling. So what you get is a wine that is truly dry. And it can be a revelation, as is the Yann Alexandre Roche Mere Brut Nature Champagne.

Yann Alexandre is a small family producer located in Courmas, in the Petite Montagne de Reims. The Montagne de Reims is one of the prized regions of Champagne, known for excellent Champagnes featuring the Meunier grape. 

Alexandre’s entire portfolio puts the Meunier grape on display, and the Roche Mère Brut Nature shows the grape’s beautiful deep-fruitedness—along with 40% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir—in the brisk Brut Nature style.

This wine shows an inviting pale gold core in the glass. The aromas are bursting with zesty lemon peel, ginger, and green almond notes. The palate is focused, mouthwatering, and full of tension, with a fleshy midpalate, hints of stone fruit, and a lasting finish. It’s a lively yet serious Brut Nature that bubbly lovers will adore—and will surely turn neophytes into Brut Nature converts.

Yann Alexandre’s family owns 6.7 hectares—a bit over 15 acres—across 31 parcels in 10 Champagne crus. In keeping with the style of the subregion, about half of their vines are Meunier, while 1/3 are Chardonnay and the rest is Pinot Noir. They’re extremely environmentally conscious, having held HVE (Haute Valuer Environnementale) Level 3 Status since 2015. They even use sheep in the vines for weed management. .

Alexandre presses their wines plot by plot, fermenting in stainless steel or oak barrels, depending on the parcel. Whether or not they allow the wine to go through malolactic is another gametime call, based on acidity levels. The bottles are hand-riddled, and the result is a gorgeous, bone-dry head-turner of a Champagne.