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Jean-Velut 'Premier Temps' Brut Champagne NV 750ml
Jean-Velut 'Premier Temps' Brut Champagne NV 750ml
FRANCE : CHAMPAGNE : MONTGUEUX
ORGANIC : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
LIGHT-BODIED, CITRUS PITH, WHITE PEACH, BRIOCHE, FLINT, NO OAK
Jean Velut farms 6 hectares on the chalky hillside of Montgueux, the southernmost Chardonnay village in Champagne — a single chalk-laced outcropping in the Aube that produces wines with the tension and precision of the Côte des Blancs rather than the region's typical clay character. Third-generation winemaker Benoît Velut trained at Domaine Lafarge in Burgundy and Château de Pibarnon before returning home, and the outside perspective is baked into the approach: no wood at any stage, cement tanks start to finish, hand riddling instead of gyropalette.
Premier Temps is 86% Chardonnay and 14% Pinot Noir — half 2021 harvest, half reserve wines from a running solera — bottled in April 2020 and left on the lees for over three years before disgorgement in April 2024. Seven grams of dosage. HVE Level 3 certified, no insecticides, Guide Hachette 2 stars and a Coup de Cœur.
PAIRINGS :
| Oysters on the half shell | chalk minerality and citrus acidity match the brine without fighting it |
| Fried chicken | high acidity and persistent bubbles cut through fat — the classic pairing for Chardonnay-dominant Champagne |
| Leek and Gruyère tart | brioche notes harmonize with the pastry; the cheese doesn't overwhelm the wine's frame |
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