Original bottle illustration — Bacchus Global
Aÿ Grand Cru · Blanc de Noirs · 2016
VINCENT CHARLOTCuvée Honoré Charlot Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Millésime 2016
A grape-growing family once sold every harvest to the local cooperative. Then one grower broke from that history, bought his own press, and began coaxing something entirely his own from a single Grand Cru slope in Aÿ — the village long considered Pinot Noir's spiritual home in Champagne. The result drinks less like typical Champagne and more like a patiently aged white Burgundy.
- Wine type
- Champagne Grand Cru, Blanc de Noirs, Extra Brut
- Grape
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Appellation
- AOC Champagne Grand Cru, Aÿ
- Origin
- Aÿ, Vallée de la Marne, Champagne, France
- Drinking window
- —
- Recommended temperature
- 12°C
- Alcohol
- 12.7% ABV
- Bottle size
- —
The Grower Who Left the Cooperative
In 2001, after training as a winemaker in Alsace, Vincent Charlot became the first in his family to stop selling grapes to the local cooperative, buying his own press and setting out as an independent grower-producer (RM).
He now farms 39 parcels across six villages, totalling 4.4 hectares, including a plot of Grand Cru Pinot Noir in Aÿ — the village long regarded as Pinot Noir's spiritual home in Champagne.
Taste profile
In the glass
CUVÉE HONORÉ CHARLOT GRAND CRU BLANC DE NOIRS MILLÉSIME 2016
Scale1–5
BG wine structure estimate
Comparative profile within the Bacchus Global wine range.
Buttered toast and marzipan from extended lees aging, layered with quince, honey and acacia blossom.
Rich and structured from its oak fermentation, with a vein of red berry fruit and the chalky minerality of Aÿ running beneath.
Crystal-clear pale straw gold.
Before it reaches the glass
Temperature
12°C — slightly warmer than typical Champagne service, to let the toasted and honeyed notes open.
Timing
Freshly disgorged in March 2023, the wine is currently in a bright, expressive stage; pour any time from aperitif through the main course.
Glassware
A wide-bowled white wine glass or tulip glass, rather than a narrow flute, to let the aromas develop.
At the table
This wine's oak-aged richness and precise acidity give it unusual range at the table.
Its structure — built on barrel fermentation and years of aging without malolactic softening — lets it stand up to dishes with more weight and fat than most Champagne, while its Aÿ minerality keeps every pairing precise.
Japanese
- Roasted duck with a mushroom reduction
- Grilled amberjack with citrus
- Simmered pork belly (buta no kakuni)
Why it worksThe wine's oak-derived richness matches the umami depth of slow-cooked and grilled proteins, while its acidity clears the palate between bites.
Thai
- Grilled river prawns (kung mae nam phao)
- Crab stir-fried with yellow curry powder (poo phat pong kari)
- Crispy pork belly (moo krob)
Why it worksThe wine's honeyed richness meets the sweetness of grilled shellfish and curry spice, while its firm acid cuts through the fat of crispy pork.
Western
- Roast poultry with morel sauce
- Lobster thermidor
- Roasted quality pork with jus
Why it worksOak-aged breadth and savory depth connect with poultry, mushrooms and mature cheese, while the wine's acidity keeps richer textures in balance.
From cellar to bottle
Winemaking
Grapes are pressed and fermented in oak barrels for 11 months without malolactic fermentation, then aged roughly six years on their lees in bottle before a March 2023 disgorgement — seven years from harvest to release.
Product detail
Dosage is kept below 4.5 g/L (Extra Brut); the cuvée is 100% Pinot Noir grown on the Grand Cru slopes of Aÿ, bottled at 12.7% ABV.
Aÿ and the Charlot Family Vineyards
The family had long sold its grapes to the regional cooperative; Vincent Charlot's decision to press his own fruit marked a break with that history and the start of a small, parcel-focused production.
Official producer website→Certification
Organic Farming (AB / Ecocert) · Ecocert
Biodynamic Farming · Demeter
Organic and biodynamic certification
This cuvée is certified organic by Ecocert and biodynamic by Demeter. The estate has held both certifications since 2013.
Trade information
Contact Bacchus Global for product documentation, availability and trade enquiries.
