Pascal Doquet 4-2-24

Grower Champagne On Sale Now!
 
“It’s the viticulture that makes the difference, not the vinification.” -Pascal Doquet
 
With an eye towards thoughtful, organic farming, Pascal Doquet epitomizes grower Champagne. Not only does his estate encompass some of the finest terroir in all of Champagne in the illustrious Côte des Blancs, his organic-certified parcels boast significant amounts of old vines. His resulting Champagnes are a magnificent tribute to his masterful and conscientious farming.
 
Since 1982, Doquet has worked his family’s estate alongside his parents. He took over completely in 1995 and began rolling out more environmentally-friendly practices under the French concept of lutte raisonnée. His passion for the vineyards and for his sustainable farming methods came to a head in 2004, when his sister forced the break-up of the family estate, Doquet-Jeanmaire, to farm more conventionally. (It was a different time, especially in Champagne, which only recently saw organic and biodynamic farming take off. Even today, only one Grande Marque, Roederer, boasts significant biodynamic holdings.) No longer restrained by other voices, Doquet named his estate after himself and began converting his holdings to certified organic. Today, he has nine hectares of vines in the villages of Vertus, Le Mont Aimé and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
 
Doquet’s vines are farmed with cover crops and managed by hand or by ultra-light tractor so as to not compact the chalk and silex (flint) soils. In the fields, he limits the use of copper, which is allowed in organic farming but considered controversial since it accumulates in the soil. Grapes are hand-harvested and rigorously sorted before undergoing a gentle pressing in the winery. Fermentation occurs in enamel-lined tanks or neutral oak using indigenous yeast with extended aging on the gross lees. Doquet limits the use of sulfur, and the wines naturally undergo malolactic fermentation. 
 
Though the wines are rarely reviewed, most recent notes can be found from Stephan Reinhardt of the Wine Advocate in 2018. Reinhardt wrote up the 2006 releases and their accompanying NVs. Much of his prose is dedicated to descriptions of the mineral character of the wine, with repeated use of terms such as saline, chalky, iodine, flinty, or crystalline. While rich in mineral notes, these wines are not austere. Instead, they deliver generous layers of fruit and leesy character balanced by refreshing elegance.
 
These are grower Champagnes in the truest sense of the term, strikingly beautiful, extremely limited, and on sale now.
 
“The wines of Pascal Doquet burst with energy and verve and deliver mineral-laden, multi-layered expressions of his terroirs.  These are wines for people looking to experience the scintillating flavors of the Côte-des-Blancs ‘sans maquillage’ (without makeup).” -Schatzi Wines
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock wines from Pascal Doquet
10% off any 6 or more in-stock wines from Pascal Doquet

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Sale ends Friday, April 5th at 9 am Pacific.
 
We offer seven wines from Pascal Doquet on sale now, including:
 
Pascal Doquet ‘Arpege’ Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut NV (2015) 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 1 bottle in stock now
Importer note
“Arpège is now the basic, non-vintage wine at the estate, with the “Horizon” bottling now being firmly established in other markets. “Horizon” hails from the Côte du Pertois, south-east of Chalons and east of the Côte de Sézanne. It is a parcel that Pascal’s father planted in 1971. “Arpège” is in a different league; it’s finer in tone and more complex. The chardonnay comes from Vertus, Villeneuve and Mont Aimé—the grapes that are not in the Coeur de Terroir series. The assemblage is 50% 2011, 50% reserve wine. It was bottled in May, 2013 and disgorged March, 2016 with 3.5 grams dosage MCR. There is substantial reserve wine in the blend, preserved in enamel tanks to maintain freshness. Aromas of spice, black tea and pear dominate the flinty-silex soils from the Mont Aimé and lend smokiness and depth to the structure.”
 
Pascal Doquet ‘Arpege’ Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut NV (2017) 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Blend: 100% Chardonnay – 61% wines of the year 2017 and 39% wines from a reseve perpetuelle started in 2012, aged in oak barrels, intergrating each year around half of wines from the last harvest.
 
Pascal Doquet ‘Champs Libres’ Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (2018-base) 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 20 bottles in stock now
Blend: 100% Chardonnay. 100% wines of the year 2018. Vinification 100% in vats.
 
Pascal Doquet ‘Diapason’ Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (2015-base) 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 4 bottles in stock now
Blend: 100 % Chardonnay – 55% wines of the year 2015 and 45% wines from a reserve perpetuelle started in 2012, aged in oak barrels, intergrating each year around half of wines from harvest.
 
Pascal Doquet Grand Cru Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger Blanc de Blancs Brut 2009 750ml Displayed Price: $149, that’s $141.55 at 5% off and $134.10 at 10% off, 4 bottles in stock now
Winery note
“Pascal is fortunate to have some very old parcels in the mid-slope of this renowned Grand Cru village. His grandfather consolidated nearly a hectare of vines in Champ d’Alouettes, of which Pascal owns 60% of the original holdings. He also has very old vines in Les Migraines planted in 1929, as well as Chétillons, Coullemets and Finciarts. From these sites, Doquet selects the best lots and vinifies them for the Coeur de Terroir range. Aged for 12 years sur latte, this wine was disgorged with a mere 2 grams MCR. It’s Pascal’s most complex wine, showing ginger, anise and blueberry.”
 
Pascal Doquet Champ d’Alouettes Grand Cru Extra Brut 2004 750ml Displayed Price: $179, that’s $170.05 at 5% off and $161.10 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Pascal is fortunate to have some very old parcels in the mid-slope of this renowned Grand Cru village. His grandfather consolidated nearly a hectare of vines in “Champ d’Alouettes,” of which Pascal owns 60% of the original holdings. He also has very old vines in “Les Migraines” planted in 1929, as well as Chétillons, Coullemets and Finciarts. From these sites, Doquet selects the best lots and vinifies them for the Coeur de Terroir range. Aged for 12 years sur latte, this wine was disgorged with a mere 2 grams MCR. It’s Pascal’s most complex wine, showing ginger, anise and blueberry.”
 
Pascal Doquet Le Mont Aime Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut 2009 750ml Displayed Price: $95, that’s $90.25 at 5% off and $85.50 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“The Mont Aimé lieu-dit is east of Vertus and faces due south. Even so, it is a cooler microclimate than Pascal’s parcels in Le Mesnil and Vertus and ripening here can happen a week later. Previous vintages were fermented in tank to support the racy, linear style of the wine, but as things evolve, Pascal now ferments roughly half in neutral barrel and half in enamel lined stainless steel tanks, which brings out a cool blueberry and smoky characteristic common to flinty, silex soils.”
 
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:
 
Defaix
 
5% off any 6-11 in-stock Daniel-Etienne Defaix wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Daniel-Etienne Defaix wines
 
April Fool’s Close Out Sale
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Close-Out Sale wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Close-Out Sale wines

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Close-Out wine sale ends Thursday, April 4th at 9 am Pacific. Defaix sale ends Tuesday, April 3rd at 9 am Pacific.