Champagne Wirth Michel 'Origines' Extra Brut

Antonin Michel has recently taken on a lot of responsibility. His mother, owner of the Wirth-Michel Champagne house, recently passed the estate on to him, and following the passing of his grandfather José, Antonin has taken the helm. José was a legend. He was part of the prestigious Club Trésors and a champion of the Meunier variety. Meunier was long thought to be suitable only for contributing fruit and perfume to a blend, lacking the concentration and structure needed for long-lived wines. José and a handful of others thought differently, debunking that myth by making wines based on, or entirely composed of, the variety and collecting massive amounts of praise for the results. Antonin makes this example in a fresh style, utilizing old vineyards from three different villages, and keeps the lees aging to a moderate timeline. His style is vibrant and minerally, but not without complexity. Enjoy his wines now, because with the pedigree behind them, they're only going to get more expensive.

We love it with… fried chicken, popcorn (a favorite with champagne), celebrating!

Type: Sparkling
Size: 750mL
ABV: 12.5%
Grape: 70% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay
Region: Côteaux Sud d'Épernay, Champagne, France
Vinification: Practicing organic. 70% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay. 70% from 2022, 30% from 2021. Fruit comes from Vinay, Moussy, and Brugny. Full malo, aged in 600L barrel, reserve wine in concrete. 26 months on the lees. Dosage: 2g/L.