2017 Caillez-Lemaire “Pur Meunier” Brut Nature
– A Brilliant Freak Show of a Champagne
– Only 100 Cases Made
– Some Italian Importer, 1 Retailer and I Are the Only Outlets
– Legendary 2017 Vintage – BEST Version Ever
– Utterly Singular – The Pure Magic of 100% Pinot Meunier
– If You Love Champagne and have Mostly BdB and BdN in the Cellar, You Need a Few Bottles of This
– Nose: Like the Most Vivid and Exotic Spice Bazaar
– The Aromatics Are Just Crazy
– Absolute Geek Heaven on the Nose
– Yeastiness Just Pops
– Green Apple Skin, Lemon Zest
– Gorgeous White Flowers
– Utterly Crazy and Elite Complexity
– Palate: Explosive White and Yellow Fruits
– Complex, Sappy and Deep
– Nice Balancing Richness
– Crunchy, Crunchy Mineral
– Mere Hints of Caramel as it Opens
– Zero Dosage
– Blows Away a Ton of $80-$125 Champagnes
– Very Limited Distribution, Unicorn Type Wine
The Versace Hurley Dress
We don’t talk much about fashion here mostly because I’ve never studied it. But art is art and just because it’s wearable doesn’t make it any less so. I was trying to think of an outfit that captures the attention of a room like today’s wine and recalled a Versace dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley for the premier of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. She was dating Hugh Grant at the time when he was this charming talented fellow and before he outed himself as a cad. In any case, the dress is certainly eye catching. Simple black with a slit along the side held together by gold chains. Miss Hurley wore it well.
Today’s wine is that kind of affair. If you serve it at a tasting of incredible Champagnes, it will stand out. It has that certain it factor and distinctiveness. Not much of it is made and my Champagne geek customers love it.
Caillez Lemaire
I had an amazing visit with Virginie and Laurent of Caillez Lemaire when I was in Champagne in July 2023. They have become really close friends and it’s a friendship I treasure deeply. So you may think the next paragraph is bias but it’s not, it’s all the truth.
If Caillez-Lemaire was professionally reviewed, I am sure they would have high scores and be 3/4/5 times the price that they are now.
I would put todays bottling (The Pur Meunier Brut Nature) at the same level as all the “unicorn” bottlings that people freak out about.
My Champagne Due Diligence
Sometimes importers get trapped in their own books. So when I go to France I try and taste great and famous wines as they are not priced at crazy levels in France.
I tried a bunch of Champagne from people like Cedric Bouchard, Marie Noelle Ledru and Étienne Calsac. All the bottles were wonderful but what I am thinking when I am tasting is how do these compete with my growers on a price and quality ratio. And my conclusion is always the same. My 3 Champagne producers just crush what is out there from a quality/price ratio perspective.
The Wine
This is one of the most special wines Caillez-Lemaire makes. They only make 1,220 bottles and I have a very limited amount of the 2017 Caillez-Lemaire “Pur Meunier” Brut Nature for $57.99 a bottle on a 4-Pack and $55.99 on a case.
This wine is a knockout. It has the elite qualities that make it drink like $100.
- It has super refined bubbles that are so delicate and integrated perfectly with the acidity that gives it a massive drinkability factor.
- It has “Zowie Batman” aromas that are beyond the normal $55 3 tier Champagne.
- It has length, structure and most importantly, distinctiveness.
It is an absurd value. It drinks like $125+. That’s just a fact.
The wine is a freak show and there is no other way to describe it. This is on the same level qualitatively as the Jadis, probably a bit higher actually, but it’s an entirely different animal as it is made from 100% Pinot Meunier. They poured it for me first on my visit in 2019 (when they debuted it to me) as they knew I’d swoon over it and it would take me forever to get to the next wine. They know me too well. One of my favorite Champagnes in the world.
What a nose. Like the most vivid and exotic spice bazaar you’ve ever smelled. But also floral, citrus and the best French bread crust you can imagine. Like the spiciest spice bazaar as well with incredible green apple skins. Yellow Apple. Brioche. White flowers. It’s so, so aromatic. It’s painful in its aromatic intensity. Superb green apple skins. Citrus pith. Grapefruit zest. The nose gets more and more complex and when it is at it’s peak complexity you just are in awe as every detail is so clear. The clarity of the aromas is just incredible. I can’t even imagine how this will be in 5 years.
The palate is pure magic and reminds me of some top wines from Jerome Prevost who is considered the top Pinot Meunier guy in Champagne. It is so elegant, fine and pure while also remaining full bodied with ample structure. The juiciness is unreal. This has oak aging and just does wonders. There are explosive white and yellow fruits with mind numbing purity. Incredible concentration and a dramatic quality. Rich as well with the crunchiest minerals you can imagine. Then the acidity just announces itself and gives this wine what seems like endless persistence. As this opens, you get these lovely hints of caramel. Pinot Meunièr can be wild (goes great with steak) and they have tamed it and this rendition is so refined, which it can be, but only in the finest hands. It’s complex, sappy and deep but threaded so fine. The finish is epic. Crunchy red and green apple flesh. My god it is so detailed.
There is a kaleidoscope of flavors. So, so saline and so lively. The energy on the wine could power a Lamborghini. The flavors are spice-infused white and yellow fruits and such fine mousse. So finely beaded. Insane oak integration. It adds so much texture when oak aging is done correctly. This is some next level wine and is extremely limited. I’ve got 100 bottles and might be able to get a few more. We will see how you all respond. They only sell it to one wine store in Reims and a tiny bit to their Italian importer and they will keep the rest. This is truly a UNICORN.
This wine is from two small plots near Damery and is aged in 100% new oak but there is no malo. There is ZERO DOSAGE. Brut Nature. The list of $80-$125 Champagnes this destroys in the market is as long as War and Peace. Do not miss this. Truly the most incredible Champagne we sell for under $60, under $70 and even under $80.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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