Wine:

The 2012 Sténopé Champagne opens on an autumnal nose of roasted hazelnut and dried fruits, with a slight oxidation that brings a nice relief. The palate is just as cozy, carried by the pinot noir. We can feel the imprint of time with the notes of dry fruit, pastry and almond, which are layered in a generous, complex bubble. A champagne to be appreciated paired with dishes such as poultry, sweetbreads or a beautiful cooked fish. Rated 93/100 by our Selection Committee.

Vinification:

Hand harvested, alcoholic fermentation mainly in 300 liter barrels, partial malolactic fermentation, aging of 7 years minimum. Disgorging 6 months minimum before marketing. Dosage : Brut 5g/L

Color:

Abundant foam. Golden yellow, of good intensity with a fine and regular bubble.

Nose:

Autumnal, on the leafy through notes of roasted hazelnuts, dried fruits and hay. There is a little oxidation but this is quite normal.

Palate:

The pinot noir dominates in the palate, marked by notes of dry fruit, almonds, pastry, and the patina of wood. This wine reveals an interesting complexity underlined by a careful oxidation, generosity and a nice tactile bubble.

Temperature:

Serve between 8 and 10°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Aperitif or during a meal - Pairings suggested by the chef Toshitaka Omiya of the restaurant Alliance in Paris 5th: Brioche with fennel; Marinated salmon, dill and fennel; French caviar, abalone, spinach and beurre blanc; Minute-cooked celtuce, wild boar meat, Timut pepper and truffle juice; Arctic char brushed with Génépi and powdered arugula; Ricotta and spinach ravioli, fricassee of porcini mushrooms; Brioche - Suggested pairings by the chef of the K2 Altitude, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Courchevel: The Atlantic Langoustine "Just seared, crisp green asparagus from Provence, Mr. Charles' potato emulsified in olive oil, cecina and black truffle; The Sea Bass: "The back in slow cooking and small quenelle, blanquette of shellfish and mushrooms, fine shavings of black truffle."

Cellar aging:

From now until 2027

The result of a collaboration between the Maison Veuve A. Devaux and Michel Chapoutier, this wine was born of a common desire to create a vintage champagne that is the exact photography of a specific terroir and vintage - the “sténopé”, or pinhole, being a very simple optical device used in the early days of photography. 


Michel Chapoutier is a great aficionado of champagne and owns a few plots of land in the appellation. He has of course brought his own touch and experience to the selection of the plots of land and to the vinification in barrels, with a percentage of new oak coming only from the staves of the forests of Champagne and the Ardennes.