Champagne Marie Courtin is comprised of one parcel of sélection massale vines spread across 2.5 hectares in the village of Polisot in the Côte des Bars. Inspired to capture the transition of energy between the earth and the sky each year, Dominique Moreau began her career as a vigneron in 2000 and officially created the Marie Courtin estate in 2005. Dominique’s grandmother, Marie Courtin, who the estate is named after, taught her the importance of the earth and vines; spending much of her life in the vineyards.

The village of Polisot is located next to Celles-sur-Ource (home to Cédric Bouchard) where they both share the same Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils found in Chablis and Sancerre’s Chavignol. It is this soil which allows the wines to shine with bright minerality and acidity. Dominique farms her vines biodynamically and all work in the vineyard is done by hand. Her dedication in the vineyard is meticulous and intense. As of our last visit, Dominique was proud to mention that her children are now assisting her in the vineyard. Working with the moon is everything to Dominique and pruning of the vines and harvesting of the grapes begins later than her neighbors.

Dominique’s parcel is split up into four sub-plots or plots differentiated by rootstock and vine age. One of the plots is designated to the estate’s small amount of chardonnay and pinot blanc, while the other three thrive with pinot noir. The pinot noir vines are split between the top and the bottom of the parcel’s south-east facing slope. At the top of the slope, there is little topsoil and it is here that the fresh cuvée “Résonance” is created embracing the subsoil of mineral rich fossilized seashells and limestone, while cuvée “Efflorescence” is comprised of vines sitting at the bottom of the slope where more topsoil and clay exist.

In the cave, each of the parcel’s four plots of vines are given individual attention. Each plot is gently pressed, and vinified separately. Depending on the cuvee, the juice is fermented in either stainless steel or in Burgundy barriques. Only natural yeast is used. The wines are disgorged at different times of the year depending on the cuvée and no dosage is added.