Coteaux Champenois Riceys rouge 2018 Champagne Olivier Horiot | Champagne

At the southernmost tip of Champagne, the village of Les Riceys is home to an ancient tradition of still wines, long overshadowed by the rise of sparkling wines.Olivier Horiot 's Coteaux Champenois Riceys red En Val Bazot continues this singular history. It was born on the En Val Bazot hillside, one of the most renowned areas of Riceys for its Kimmeridgian clay and limestone soils, which favor a deep, structured expression of Pinot Noir. On these hillsides, Olivier Horiot practises demanding organic viticulture , attentive to soil life and natural balance. The grapes are hand-picked when ripe, before a winemaking process based on spontaneous fermentation and prolonged maceration in barrel. Ageing then takes place over 18 months in experienced oak barrels, giving this cuvée a structure conducive to ageing.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Champagne Olivier Horiot 's Coteaux Champenois Riceys rouge En Val Bazot proudly asserts its identity as a terroir wine. Its serious structure and depth, rarely associated with Champagne reds, reveal an ageing potential in 2019 that one would not suspect in this still little-known appellation.Olivier Horiot 's precise work reveals a Riceys red with real capacity for evolution.

On the nose, aromas of fresh red berries mingle with earthy notes of undergrowth, to which are added discreet spicy accents. The whole is marked by a beautiful aromatic freshness and supported by a noble, finely integrated woodiness.

The palate is full-bodied, structured by silky tannins that will become even more refined with age. Red fruit aromas dominate, subtly enhanced by the woody relief of ageing. A real freshness emerges from this wine, which lingers pleasantly on the delicately liquorice finish.