Bruno Paillard : Blanc de Blancs 2002

Bruno Paillard crafts a smooth, aromatic vintage Blanc de Blancs

The estate

Founded in Reims in 1981, Bruno Paillard is one of the youngest houses in Champagne. Uncompromising terroir selection, exclusive use of the first pressing, blends drawn from a vast collection of reserve wines and ageing periods twice as long as the appellation's regulations require: the Bruno Paillard range of champagnes reflects a constant pursuit of excellence and a determination to create a “very personal style”. Through elegant, complex champagnes of great purity, the house of Champagne Bruno Paillard raises Champagne craftsmanship to the height of its art.

The vineyard

The Bruno Paillard house tends an exceptional, patiently assembled vineyard covering 32 hectares across 15 crus, 12 of which are classified as “Grands Crus”. The vineyard brings together the great terroirs of Oger, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Cumières and Verzenay, as well as the exceptional Cru des Riceys in the south of Champagne.

The wine

Bruno Paillard's 2002 “Blanc de Blancs” comes from two Grands Crus in the Côte des Blancs (Oger, Mesnil-sur-Oger).

Each vintage cuvée from the Champagne house Bruno Paillard authentically reflects a year, a style and a unique tasting experience. Bruno Paillard wants each label to be the perfect expression of its vintage, conveyed through a character, a word, an artist and, in turn, a canvas. The story of each great year in Champagne is thus told through a unique work of art, rich in diversity.

The label of this cuvée features a work by French artist Jean-Paul Agosti on the theme of “floral flight”. The son of gallery owner and photographer Paul Facchetti, Jean-Paul Agosti is a painter trained at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The distinctiveness of his works (drawings, watercolours, paintings) lies as much in their “tree-like” structure as in their relationship with architecture and garden design. He has notably collaborated on monumental projects (in situ paintings, stained-glass windows) and currently exhibits at the Galerie Guillaume (Paris), at the Château d'Anvers sur Oise and abroad (Milwaukee Art Museum).

The vintage

Marked by low rainfall and high temperatures, 2002 also stood out for a temperate summer whose steady temperatures encouraged the gradual ripening of the grapes. In September, alternating hot days and cool nights further promoted ripeness and the aromatic richness of the berries.

Although the conditions reduced yields, the harvested grapes were concentrated and highly aromatic. The low level of malic acid in the wines allowed them to retain their original freshness after malolactic fermentation, which, combined with optimal ripeness, pointed to an exceptional vintage.

Winemaking and ageing

Made exclusively from the first pressing, this 2002 vintage champagne from Bruno Paillard is aged for more than 10 years on the lees in the house's cellars. Its dosage is low (5 g/litre). It was disgorged in 2012.

Blend

Chardonnay (100%).

Characteristics and tasting tips for Bruno Paillard's 2002 “Blanc de Blancs”

Tasting notes

Appearance
The wine displays an intense golden colour with green highlights. The bubbles are beautifully fine.

Nose
Combining freshness and power, the nose opens with iodine notes, followed with aeration by fragrances of citrus, fresh almond and white flowers.

Palate
Lively and opulent on the attack, the palate captivates with its length and saline notes, enhanced by aromas of candied citrus, almond paste and buttery pastry.