” Coulon remains one of the under-the-radar names in Champagne. Readers will find a number of gorgeous wines in this range, including the new Coteaux Champenois. I find a purity in these Champagnes that is hard to fully describe with words. It’s a sort of transparency – an expression of vintage, variety and place – that is both singular and compelling. ”
– Antonio Galloni, May 2023
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C H A M P A G N E
R O G E R C O U L O N
V R I G N Y
C H A M P A G N E
World-class wine critic Antonio Galloni published this month his annual report; ‘Champagne: The 2023 Spring Preview’ on respected review platform Vinous.com. A special focus and sincere reflection on the talented work at Champagne Coulon was eloquently communicated; cementing what we have known and believed as their exclusive UK importer over the past few years. Coulon’s success is highly regarded in the Sommelier world where you will find their cuvée’s listed by the glass and on wine lists in some of London’s top restaurants. If you haven’t explored the incredible “expression of vintage, variety & place” grown and produced by Champagne Coulon this is your sign; there will never be a better moment to place that order!
Wine Source have in our UK reserves a limited stock of Champagne Coulon; listed below are the in bond prices along with recent tasting notes and scores by Antonio Galloni. Please do not hesitate to get in touch; we would be glad to arrange a prompt delivery either to your home or bonded storage account.
Tasting Notes by
ANTONIO GALLONI
From article: Champagne – The 2023 Spring Preview
(published May 2023) Vinous.com
Champagne Roger Coulon
S P A R K L I N G C U V É E S
NV L’Hommée 1er Cru Extra Brut
£270 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond
£270 per case of 3 x 1.5L in bond (MAGNUMS)
” The NV Extra-Brut L’Hommée, a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir across a number of parcels in Vrigny, deftly marries power with tension. White flowers, chalk, mint, dried herbs and crushed rocks all run through this beautifully delineated, vibrant Champagne. Deep with tons of precision, the Homme is seriously impressive from start to finish. Superb! Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: December, 2021. ”
95 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2022 – 2030
NV Esprit de Vrigny 1er Cu Zero Dosage
£390 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond
” The NV (2017) Brut Nature Esprit de Vrigny is a blend meant to capture the essence of Vrigny. Soft and caressing, the Esprit is very easy to enjoy, even in the early going. Dried pear, crushed flowers, spice, tangerine oil and gently spiced notes are nicely pushed forward. Soft and supple, with no hard edges, the Esprit is pretty engaging today. Disgorged: July, 2022. ”
93 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2022 – 2030
2016 “Les Hauts Partas” Lieu Dits Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
£420 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond
” The 2016 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Hauts Partas from vines in Chouilly, sizzles with Côtes des Blancs tension. Lemon peel, chalk, slate, white pepper and bright saline notes all take shape in the glass. Linear and bursting with energy, the Hauts Partas is super-expressive today. This is an especially good wine for the year. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: November 2022. ”
94 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2023 – 2031
2013 Millésime, Blanc de Noirs
£450 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond (UK delivery July 2023)
” The 2013 Millesime is one the most engaging Champagnes I have tasted from Coulon in a long time, maybe ever. It’s a blend of equal parts ungrafted Meunier and old-vine Pinot Noir. Rich and exuberant, the 2013 possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Red plum, spice, crushed flowers, tangerine peel, hazelnut and chamomile are some of the notes that build into the huge, palate-staining finish. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2022…I would open this well in advance, as the natural richness and intensity of the Pinot only emerges with time, when it does, the Pinot character really screams. This is such a distinctive and personal wine. ”
95 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2023 – 2033
Champagne Roger Coulon
S T I L L R E D C U V É E S
2019 Coteaux Champenois, “Le Champs Chevalier”
£408 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond
” The 2019 Coteaux Champenois Pinot Noir is laced with bright red fruit, blood orange, spice and rose petal. Airy and weightless in feel, the 2019 is on the lighter side, but its soft-spoken personality is quite attractive just the same. ”
92 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2023 – 2029
2019 Coteaux Champenois, “Le Mont Moine”
£408 per case of 6 x 75cl in bond
” The 2019 Coteaux Champenois, 100% Meunier, is delicate and racy. Dried herbs, orange peel, mint and a healthy dose of stem influence from the 100% whole clusters are some of the signatures. This understated, light-bodied red has a ton of character. Semi-carbonic fermentation works well in this bottling. ”
92 Points, Anticipated Maturity: 2023 – 2029
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Family History
CHAMPAGNE COULON
– 8TH GENERATION –
For eight generations the Coulon family have been stewards of the spirit of Vrigny, a tiny village located in the Montagne de Reims, Northern Champagne. Eric and Isabelle Coulon along with their children Edgar and Louise are the owners of this 11ha estate, which counts over 100 well-selected parcels of older vines spread across the Petite Montagne premier cru village of Vrigny and its environs, where Meunier growing in sandy soils dominates – some of it ungrafted, and all of it, in the Coulon’s case, derived from massale selections.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Having lost his father early, Eric Coulon learned the job with his grandfather, who had always stayed true to ancestral methods of champagne growing. Working alongside his father Eric, Edgar, who previously worked for renowned winemaker Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy, has returned enriched with his experience to help create these wines of exceptional precision, expression and vinosity. Edgar is also keen to focus more on fermentation and élevage in oak, using barrels of varying size, shape, and age in order to add texture and complexity to the wines. The dosage rarely goes over 3g/l, which particularly suits their wines and highlights the quality of their work in the vineyard.
TERROIR & VITICULTURE
Viticulture, certified organic since 2019, is progressive. Taking their inspiration from the “primordial” state of the forest around them, the family’s dream for their domaine is to create an autonomous viticulture, self-sufficient and harmonious with their environment. Cover crops control humidity and thus mitigate disease pressure (Meunier is susceptible to rot). Eric Coulon, much like his brother-in-law Francis Egly, believes in picking late in pursuit of full physiological maturity.
The Coulon family continue their application of natural, ancestral methods in the cellar, using natural yeasts, low yields, low sulphur, first press juice only, and long bottle ageing. All their champagnes are bottled with a lower pressure of just 3.5 atmospheres as opposed to the usual six, resulting in an exceptional mousse with a subtle creamy texture. In the cellar, some cuvées see oak barrels (with 10% to 15% new wood).
The point of this enormous, life-changing project for the Coulon family is that they are conserving their heritage and thinking long into the future, whilst enjoying the benefits of the recovery of nature around them. Biodiversity in the vineyards, organic farming, judicious use of old oak barrels, long ageing under cork before release – the hallmarks of Champagne Coulon.
The family’s oldest vines were planted in 1959 and the average age of the vines is 40 years. Thanks to the sandy soils, they are blessed with some vines that are franc de pied. We can imagine the dedicated un-ceasingly hard work that is done here when we know that the domaine consists of over 100 different parcels, trained using two separate methods, with a vine density of 8,000 per ha, and just 10 buds per branch. Yields are kept low and thanks to their incredibly close connection with their land, the family are able to produce a vintage champagne every single year, by understanding, via a mixture of deep intuition and long experience, just what each vineyard will bring forth. The cellar is not thermoregulated however malolactic fermentation is blocked, to allow more cellaring of the wines afterwards. Each cuvée spends at least 10 months on the lees and is bottled in July, with low yeast and sugar to allow maintenance of a lower pressure. The family release each cuvée when it is deemed ready, by carefully tasting; for example millésime 2011 was released before 2009.
