Stéphane Coquillette Les Clés Brut Blanc de Noirs

Stéphane Coquillette Les Clés Brut Blanc de Noirs draws attention to a celebrated name in Champagne: Aÿ Grand Cru. Made entirely from Pinot Noir, it is the estate’s most direct expression of its black-grape vineyards, and a particularly worthwhile bottle for anyone who wants to explore what one grape and one distinguished village can bring to the glass. The domaine is rooted in Chouilly Grand Cru, at the northern end of the Côte des Blancs, but its holdings reach beyond Chardonnay country. The family works a little over six hectares across several Champagne districts. Its Chardonnay comes principally from Chouilly and Cuis, while its Pinot Noir sites include Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. All the fruit used for the house’s Champagne is estate grown, giving the producer a clear connection between vineyard and bottle. Les Clés narrows that wider picture to Pinot Noir from Aÿ. For the curious drinker, that makes it a valuable contrast to Diane, the domaine’s pure-Chardonnay cuvée. L’Entrecœur offers the broader house introduction by bringing the two varieties together, whereas Les Clés asks you to appreciate the black grape on its own terms. You need not have tried the other wines first, but tasting them side by side would make an engaging evening. There is an appealing family continuity behind the bottle. Stéphane represents the fourth generation, with Diane and Louis associated with the fifth. The domaine remains sufficiently small for individual vineyards to have identities of their own, and Les Clés is among the named sites that give the range its structure. Serve this Champagne cool, not ice-cold, in a tulip glass rather than a very narrow flute. As a Brut Blanc de Noirs, it is a natural candidate for a welcoming glass or a thoughtful pairing with savoury dishes, especially simply prepared poultry. Give it time to open in the glass. Choose Les Clés for its unusually clear proposition: 100% Pinot Noir, Aÿ Grand Cru and the attention of a small family estate. If your aim is to understand how Coquillette approaches Chardonnay instead, choose Diane; for an estate-wide blend, begin with L’Entrecœur.