NV Petit & Bajan Champagne ‘Obsidienne’ Brut Grand Cru Avize Champagne

WSI94+ WA92+ Based on the 2014 vintage and disgorged in June 2020, the new release of the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Obsidienne is very pretty, offering up fragrant aromas of orchard fruit, apple blossom, orange oil and subtle hints of coniferous forest. Medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with fine depth at the core, tangy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it’s an elegantly muscular wine derived from holdings in Very and Verzenay. Based in Avize, Petit & Bajan work with Chardonnay from their home village and from Cramant and Oger, as well as Pinot Noir from Verzenay, to produce bold, vinous Champagnes from ripe grapes that see minimal dosage on disgorgement. I’m looking forward to visiting in the future.
Estate Notes: 100% Pinot Noir, selected from grand cru-rated terroir in the village of Verzenay. So much complexity, so much soul. Wildflowers, small red berries, roses, stone fruit. A bold and very beautiful blanc de noirs. It is named after the French word for obsidian, a midnight-black, volcanic glass.
Domaine Petit & Bajan crafts “grower” Champagne, a récoltant-manipulant house that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine all on site. This qualitative difference is crucial for those seeking the ultimate in Champagne flavor and character.
The estate’s vineyards are split between the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, with just over two acres of Chardonnay vines in Avize, Cramant and Oger, and five acres of Pinot Noir in Verzenay. All vineyards are rated grand cru and are cared for sustainably