Les Ursules is a single vineyard, and the 2021 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs, produced at Cédric Bouchard, is a white wine called Champagne made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes grown on it, in the Côte des Bar in the south of the region. There is no blending between vineyards, nor between vintages. One grape, one plot, one harvest. This is exactly how all Roses de Jeanne wines are made.
The base wine undergoes slow, low-temperature fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fruit's natural flavors. After that, nothing is removed or added. There is absolutely no fining, filtering, or dosage. It is a Brut Nature, a completely dry wine.
And the year 2021 made this entire process even more challenging. Frosts fell in the Champagne region for 12 days, from April 6 to May 3, and on the night of May 3, the temperature in the village of Celles-sur-Ource dropped to -5.8°C. Celles-sur-Ource is a village located in the Côte des Bar. This was followed by rain, hail, and mildew. The Barséquanais district lost approximately 63% of its expected harvest, which was the most severe loss in the region. The harvest took place from the 6th to the 27th of September. In Champagne, as is customary, the harvest was done by hand, and the ripeness varied from vineyard to vineyard. This region could see its smallest crop for 40 years.
Robert Parker (96)
Cédric Bouchard’s 2021 Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules, disgorged in April 2025, unwinds in the glass with aromas of nashi pear, green apple, peeled almond and lemon oil, with a faint hint of rose petals. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, taut and incisive, with a crisp core of fruit, a bright spine of acidity and a precise, chalky finish. So youthful and electric, it promises excellent post-disgorgement longevity, as this cuvée has consistently demonstrated. Naturally cooler due to its exposure, the site has yielded a wine with slightly lower pH and higher acidity than his Blanc de Noirs Le Creux d’Enfer in the same vintage.
Les Ursules derives from a 0.97-hectare, north-facing parcel planted with Pinot Noir in 1974 and was the site that yielded Bouchard’s inaugural wine in 2000.
James Suckling (97)
This Champagne shows aromas of fresh strawberries, leaves, minerals, stones, chalk, violets and a hint of butter. Savory on the palate, with refreshing acidity, superfine bubbles and a long finish of strawberries, chalk and minerals. 100% pinot noir.
Vinous (95)
The 2021 Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules is a powerful, resonant Champagne. Kirsch, dried flowers, mint, dried herbs and pine are all dialed up. The 2021 screams with Pinot character in its aromas, flavors and textures. This really explodes on the back end, showing notable structure and textural intensity. Because of tiny yields, Bouchard bottled the 2021 Ursules only in magnum, a decision that will make this even harder to find. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: June 2025.
