CHAMPAGNES

Champagne Marie Demets, Brut               £22.33     £21.75 per dozen   80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay  

Elegant bouquet , clean flavours, exquisite balance with a hint of baking bread.

Champagne Marie Demets was formed in 1987 when Marie Brément married Alain Demets. Marie‘s family have cultivated the land for many generations and Alain, who used to rent vines from the Brément family, took over the House on Marie‘s father‘s retirement.
Marie Demets is located in the Aube in southern Champagne which is renowned for its Pinot Noir. Unusually, Champagnes are produced solely from grapes harvested from the House‘s own 11 hectares of vineyards, of which 80% are planted to Pinot Noir and 20% to Chardonnay.
The total production of Marie Demets Champagne is now 100,000 bottles and increasing demand for its Champagnes has seen recent investment in new production facilities.

Viticulture    
Exposition:     undulating slopes
Soils:     Kimmeridgian clay and marl
Varieties:     90% Pinot Noir & 10% Chardonnay
Vine age:     as at 2005 between two to thirty-four years old
Rootstock:     41B, SO4
Planting density:     between 7500-9000 vines/ha
Canopy management:     Double guyot and single guyot vines, trained on wires to aerate the canopy and ensure healthy fruit.  Green harvesting is practised to facilitate ripening.
Harvesting:    by hand
Vinification    
Pre-fermentation :    Whole bunches are gently pressed in a pneumatic press.  After settling for around 18 hours, the base wines are fermented
Yeast:    inoculated yeasts
Fermentation vessel:    in stainless steel tanks
Temperature control:    under temperature control
Blending:    The base wines are then assembled to produce a blend which is traditionally 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay and which includes reserve wines from previous vintages.  
Bottle ageing:    Following a second fermentation, wines spend a minimum of 15 months ageing on the lees before dégorgement.  Remuage is by giropalette.Closure:    Champagne cork