Marie Courtin Presence Extra Brut

The rapid march of industrialization has ushered us into an era where scant traces of our grandparents' artisanal farming practices remain. This disconnection from nature has precipitated the overexploitation of resources, soil degradation, and a loss of biodiversity. Consequently, agricultural operations and the quality of foodstuffs have been severely compromised. Fortunately, there are still those who resist the allure of large-scale industry and persist in working in harmony with nature. An exemplar of this work ethic can be found in Dominique Moreau, a vintner based in the AOC Champagne region, who cultivates her vineyards using biodynamic agriculture, agrohomeopathy, and dowsing. These minimally invasive practices underscore the reverence that her ancestors, such as her grandmother Marie Courtin—whom she describes as a "woman of the earth"—held for their crops.

In homage to her grandmother, in 2005, she began crafting champagne from unique vineyards, cultivated and processed with scrupulous care. Wines like Marie Courtin Presence Extra Brut, a sparkling wine originating from 2.5 hectares of vineyards planted on Kimmeridgian clay and limestone soils, where spirituality plays an integral role. Made from single-vintage chardonnay and pinot blanc grapes, biodynamic farming is practiced and pendulums are used to gauge the development of the grapes on the vine and the evolution of the wine. Following manual harvest, fermentation takes place in thermoregulated stainless steel tanks utilizing indigenous yeasts, and then the second fermentation occurs in the bottle without the addition of dosage before or after disgorgement.

The outcome is utterly captivating. Marie Courtin Presence Extra Brut is a champagne that, without any additives, boasts a radiant luster, a vibrant palate, and profound minerality. It is the epitome of craftsmanship!