Champagne Le Triumvirat 2009 Brut Nature Maison Tarlant

The Champagne Le Triumvirat Brut Nature 2009 from Tarlant is a rare, vintage-dated cuvée of genuine character, born from an exceptional sunny vintage that Benoît Tarlant himself describes as a year of richness and power. Only 2,800 bottles produced, disgorged in 2023 after thirteen years ageing on lees, zero dosage. Le Triumvirat takes its name from the partnership of three distinct terroirs, each bringing its own personality to create a Champagne of incomparable complexity. Precise and cutting, with dizzying tension between the ripe fruit of the warm 2009 vintage and the crystalline acidity structure.

The three terroirs and the blend

Triumvirat means the association of three elements that together exercise an influence greater than each alone. The three historic parcels of Oeuilly that compose this cuvée are each a unique terroir in Champagne. Les Crayons rests on pure Campanian chalk, that white chalky limestone which is the absolute geological identity of Champagne, bringing mineral tension, salinity and crystalline freshness that structure the whole. L'Enclume rests on flint pebbles over Lutetian limestone, bringing cold, smoky, cutting minerality and the aromatic depth that define this lieu-dit's singular character. Les Sables rests on Lutetian siliceous sands, that rare terroir which protects vines from phylloxera and gives Chardonnay a lightness, floral delicacy and aromatic finesse of great elegance. The blend comprises 58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir, the two varieties complementing each other with absolute precision and coherence. Chardonnay brings finesse, tension and minerality, Pinot the fruited depth, power and structure. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, ten months on vintage lees in Burgundy oak barrels, parcel by parcel. No malolactic fermentation, no filtration, no fining.

Tasting profile

The colour is a brilliant golden yellow with amber-gold glints, animated by fine, persistent bubbles of absolute lightness and clarity. The nose is deep and complex, marked by notes of brioche and flint, candied citrus and dried fruit. Aromas of ripe apple, hazelnut and chalk compose a bouquet of remarkable richness and precision from an assemblage of such complementary parcels. The generous maturity of the 2009 vintage expresses itself with richness and fullness that the crystalline acidity structure balances with surgical precision. On the palate, the wine is ample, structured and tense, carried by vinous substance, fine bubble and remarkable energy. The texture is silky yet simultaneously mineral and biting, a paradox only great terroir Champagnes master. The finish is long, saline and persistent, with a depth and nobility that confirm the grandeur of the vintage and the precision of winemaking without compromise.

The house

Since the reign of Louis XIV, the Tarlant family has cultivated vines in the Marne valley. Today, Benoît and Mélanie Tarlant, twelfth generation, farm their 14 hectares in Oeuilly under certified organic methods, vinifying separately each variety from each parcel. Le Triumvirat embodies a third way between the single-variety single-parcel cuvées of their range and the multi-variety multi-vintage blends of their Zero, an identified vintage, three complementary parcels, two harmonious varieties. Benoît and Mélanie Tarlant are among the absolute leading figures of grower Champagne.

Food pairings

This Champagne Le Triumvirat Brut Nature 2009 pairs beautifully with a seafood platter, pan-fried turbot with beurre blanc sauce, grilled lobster with lemon butter, seafood risotto with Parmesan, light cream-based poultry or 36-month aged Comté. It will also be sublime alone, in a large white Burgundy glass, left open for twenty minutes to allow thirteen years of lees to reveal their full depth and complexity. Served between 10 and 12°C, it will reveal all the mineral power, vinous richness and crystalline tension of a vintage terroir Champagne of absolute sincerity and precision.