Professionelle Bewertungen
Robert Parker (94)
Christophe Baron's 2019 Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes, as ever, originates from a mid-slope, southwest-exposed parcel in Charly-sur-Marne. Disgorged in May 2023 without dosage, it wafts from the glass with a bouquet of tangerine zest, pear and raspberry with a hint of Madagascar vanilla. Less fleshy than Les Closeaux but slightly more gourmand than Le Dessus du Bois Marie—and certainly fuller-bodied than Les Alouettes—it is layered and concentrated, with ripe yet vibrant acidity, a pillowy mousse and a lingering, saline finish.
James Suckling (95)
Very creamy and focused Champagne with notes of cherry blossoms, jasmine, pink grapefruit, white peaches, fennel and brioche. It’s medium-bodied with a very fine and delicate mousse that dances across the palate. Bone dry with beautiful balance and length. 100% pinot meunier from a vineyard planted in 1969. From organically grown grapes. In magnums only. Zero dosage. Disgorged May 2023.
BOW (8.75)
Christophe Baron grew up in the Champagne region and studied viticulture and oenology in Bonn, before moving to the United States in the 1990s, where he has since built his career as a winemaker in Walla Walla, Washington. In 2014, with the help of his cousins, he turned his attention back to France, starting to produce champagne from grapes grown in vineyards inherited from his family. His range includes just four blends from a single vineyard, made entirely from old mass-selected Pinot Meunier in the western Marne Valley, in the villages of Crot sur Marne and Charley sur Marne. Of the four hectares he owns, just over half goes into his own production, with the rest going to family members who bottle wine under the Baron Albert label.
The vineyards have been organically farmed from the outset, albeit without official certification. Baron spends most of his time in the United States, but his family strictly follows his protocols. He prefers to harvest early to preserve freshness.
Pressing, fermentation and vinification are carried out at the family winery. Baron uses both cuvées and premier tailles, ageing the wines in 600-litre barrels, a quarter of which are replaced each year, while the rest are between five and six years old. Fermentation takes place using local yeasts, and malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. He stirs the lees about once a week until the end of January — in his opinion, this reduces the need for dosage — after which the wines are aged for about eight months on the lees in barrels.
All four wines are vintage dated, bottled exclusively in magnums and disgorged without dosage, which Baron considers necessary to express the individuality and character of each plot.
The result is a set of remarkable, complex champagnes — serious in structure and tension — that are well worth trying.
Owen Bargreen (96)
A masterful Champagne made in a warm vintage, the 2019 Champagne Christophe Baron ‘Les Hauts Blanches Vignes’ comes from vines planted back in 1969. This site is extremely steep on a 19 degree slope and sits at roughly 400 feet above sea level on a southwestern exposure. Bright and intense aromatics of guava and pastry crust greet you alongside suggestions of ripe melon fruits. The palate shows a soft mousse and a silky texture with plenty of stony minerality and tension. Showing excellent length, this bottling really needs another year of bottle age — but you can see the incredible potential.
