Bernard Tornay Brut B.T.

Description

About the Wine 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Hutasse shares the perspective of a large maison in that he places great importance on being able to reproduce a house style year after year. To that end he keeps enormous stocks of reserve still wines (up to 6 year old). The Carte d’Or is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, but includes reserves from the communes of Bouzy, Ambonnay, Trepail, Bisseuil, Tauxieres, Les Riceys, Vertus, Mareuil and Epernay. The vineyards that go into making the Tornay Carte d’Or are of very high level: 55% Grand Cru from the communes of Bouzy and Ambonnay 12% 1er Cru from 99% vineyards in Mareuil and Tauxieres 30% 1er Cru from 95% vineyards in Vertus, Trepail, Bisseuil 3 % from a mix of vineyards in the 80% to 88% range. The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation, for greater roundness. This Brut Non-Vintage is an assemblage of 70% wine from the most recent harvest and 30% reserve wines which are a minimum of four years old. It is kept sur lees for up to three years, enhancing its richness, compared to the mandated one year for a non-vintage cuvee. The bottles are cellared for an additional six months in order to integrate the liqueur d’expedition. Dosage: 8 to 9g/l. This non-vintage is round and elegant, with fine bubbles. It can be equally enjoyed as an aperitif or to accompany a meal. About the EstateThe great amphitheatre of vines which rise up from the Grand Cru village of Bouzy represents one of the most famous vineyards of the world. Bouzy is renowned for its Pinot Noir production and the wines produced here are characterized by their extract, richness of flavor and powerful Pinot Noir bouquet. It is also the only village with the right to produce a Grand Cru Pinot Noir still red wine. Dating from the 17th Century, the families of Barnaut and Tornay have been intimately involved in champagne production; the tradition being handed down through the generations. Both families have been based in Bouzy, a village with a distinguished tradition of champagne making since the early 1600s. Following his marriage to Mrs Simone Barnaut, Mr Bernard Tornay became the sole successor to Mr Gaston Barnaut (his father-in-law). The domaine is now 23 hectares: 5.5 hectares are planted with Chardonnay, the rest is Pinot Noir. 15 hectares are Grand cru level, 3 to 4 hectares 1er Cru level and the rest is sold in bulk. Around 8330 cases are produces each year. The Champagne region is characterized by its chalky sub-soil, whose porous nature serves to promote grape maturity by stocking and then re-distributing heat, and acts as a reservoir from which the vines can survive the driest summers. The minerality of this chalky substrate imparts a particular expression to the grape. The vines are worked according to the precepts of culture raisonnee, with minimum use of pesticides and fungicides. Grass is allowed to grow between vine rows and harvesting is entirely manual. Talented vintner Rudy Hutasse is a third generation champagne producer. Trained at the Lycée Viticole d’Avize, he worked at Laurent Perrier for 17 years before taking the reins from his father-in-law, Bernard Tornay, in 1997. – Importer