This is a pulse-quickening, deeply layered, soul-stirringly pure Champagne that wears its Certified Biodynamic badge with pride. A heavy blend of Pinot Noir from the 2017 vintage with a healthy dose of Chardonnay from the famous satellite village of Montgueux, this resoundingly pure and impressively nuanced Champagne is akin to a child prodigy. It was Vincent Couche’s mother who inspired his passion for vineyard work, especially when it came to maintaining a natural, chemical-free ecosystem. As such, he has spent every waking hour over the past two decades ensuring his wines are free of additives. Because he refuses unnatural methods at every step of the process—from eschewing “-cides” to banning chaptalization or sulfur during fermentation to only using gravity to move the wine—Vincent Couche is leading the charge in both the organic and grower Champagne movements.

This is among the purest, most honest Champagnes on the market right now and the only “manipulation” here is the light dosage which makes it all the more enjoyable to drink. After allowing the vigorous mousse to subside in an all-purpose stem, the nose erupts with fresh, live-wire aromas of crisp white pear, Mirabelle plum, red and yellow apple skin, redcurrant, damp herb, crushed chalk, seashell, blanched almonds, lime blossoms, lees, iodine, and acacia. The palate is soft, expansive, layered, and edge-less; just a vivid snapshot of Champagne’s rich, unadulterated terroir.