“Dominique Moreau [makes] tiny amounts of Champagne under the Marie-Courtin label that are gorgeous, precise and elegant, and that I cannot get out of my head.”
– Eric Asimov, New York Times
Marie-Courtin:
Exhilarating and Vinous Champagnes
Unlock Your Discount Now
– Eric Asimov, New York Times
Marie-Courtin:
Exhilarating and Vinous Champagnes
Unlock Your Discount Now
The Aube: once a sleepy backwater department of the Champagne region where generations of vineyard owners and caretakers subsisted by selling their crops to the luxury Grandes Marques headquartered in Reims. Now it is a cradle to a movement. A movement of estate growers escorting their grapes through to the finished wine, and in so doing expressing their grapes, their ground, and their aesthetic.
The Aube is not alone in this turnabout. It is happening in tiny plots of land all over Champagne. And the proprietress of Marie-Courtin, Dominique Moreau, is part of the growing grower contingent of luminaries including Cedric Bouchard and Vouette & Sorbee. Moreau and these others saw the conditions of viticulture in Champagne and resolved to farm better, both for the health of their families and also for the quality of the wines coming out of those vineyards.
On a hillside of the Cote des Bars, near the village of Polisot, Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40–50-year-old Pinot Noir vines in 2001. She set out to produce single-vineyard, single-varietal, single-vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes. She farmed with meticulous care and vinified au naturel. Native yeasts, no dosage, minimalist intervention at all decision points. This was and still is a sharp turn from the conventional mind-set in Champagne, which is to produce a homogenous product and plenty of it.
In 2006, her vision became something the world beyond the Aube could share. But her wines didn’t go far, at first. Restaurants and Champagne bars in Paris intercepted most of the mere 1,000 cases or so. Though production and distribution have expanded since those early days, Moreau’s bottlings are still rarities.
The results, if highly limited, are spectacular. Her wines (named after her grandmother) show as tightly coiled, chiseled masterpieces, with incredible energy packed into an edgy frame. They demonstrate a fruity plushness offset by an incomparable mineral-driven tension that drives the somms in Portland, and her growing fanbase, wild.
“These wines represent the height of vinosity in Champagne… Readers should do whatever they can to taste these fabulous wines.” -Antonio Galloni
“Intensely expressive, emotionally moving wines.” –Peter Liem
The Aube is not alone in this turnabout. It is happening in tiny plots of land all over Champagne. And the proprietress of Marie-Courtin, Dominique Moreau, is part of the growing grower contingent of luminaries including Cedric Bouchard and Vouette & Sorbee. Moreau and these others saw the conditions of viticulture in Champagne and resolved to farm better, both for the health of their families and also for the quality of the wines coming out of those vineyards.
On a hillside of the Cote des Bars, near the village of Polisot, Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40–50-year-old Pinot Noir vines in 2001. She set out to produce single-vineyard, single-varietal, single-vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes. She farmed with meticulous care and vinified au naturel. Native yeasts, no dosage, minimalist intervention at all decision points. This was and still is a sharp turn from the conventional mind-set in Champagne, which is to produce a homogenous product and plenty of it.
In 2006, her vision became something the world beyond the Aube could share. But her wines didn’t go far, at first. Restaurants and Champagne bars in Paris intercepted most of the mere 1,000 cases or so. Though production and distribution have expanded since those early days, Moreau’s bottlings are still rarities.
The results, if highly limited, are spectacular. Her wines (named after her grandmother) show as tightly coiled, chiseled masterpieces, with incredible energy packed into an edgy frame. They demonstrate a fruity plushness offset by an incomparable mineral-driven tension that drives the somms in Portland, and her growing fanbase, wild.
“These wines represent the height of vinosity in Champagne… Readers should do whatever they can to taste these fabulous wines.” -Antonio Galloni
“Intensely expressive, emotionally moving wines.” –Peter Liem
Shop the list below or hop over to our webstore to claim your discount.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles from Marie-Courtin
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles from Marie-Courtin
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, September 27th at 9 am Pacific.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles from Marie-Courtin
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles from Marie-Courtin
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, September 27th at 9 am Pacific.
We offer ten Marie-Courtin options in-stock and on sale now, including:
Marie-Courtin Le Blanc du Tremble, Coteaux Champenois (Non-Sparkling) 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
Review is for the NV version, reviewed in November 2023. Provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 points “The NV Coteaux Champenois Le Blanc du Tremble shows good depth and phenolic intensity. Pear, apricot, white flowers and lightly tropical notes all grace this wonderfully deep and expressive Coteaux. Blanc du Tremble is 100% Pinot Noir from 35-40-year-old vines, aged in clay and sandstone amphorae. Terrific.”
Marie-Courtin Le Blanc du Tremble, Coteaux Champenois (Non-Sparkling) 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “Dominique Moreau’s Coteaux Champenois “Blanc du Tremble” is made from 100% massale selection Pinot Noir. Aged in clay and sandstone amphoras with produced with zero sulfur added, this Coteaux Blanc is rich, racy and textured. Nose is reminiscent of Concordance Blanc de Noir sans soufre Champagne with its aromas of stonefruit and honey. An indulgent and classy Coteaux in very limited supply!”
Marie-Courtin Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $149, that’s $141.55 at 5% off and $134.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “After years of fermentations in tank, foudre and barrel, Dominique Moreau has ventured into the foray of amphora vinification and ageing. The Blanc de Noirs is 100% Pinot Noir grown in the kimmeridgian-centric soils of Polisot. The resulting wine is deep and focused with penetrating bubbles and real staying power.”
No reviews for the 2020 vintage. Recent review provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 points “The NV (2018) Blanc de Noirs Amphora, 100% Pinot Noir done in amphora, is a big, powerful wine. Here the structure of Pinot very clearly dominates. There is a real feeling of phenolic intensity that drives the 2018 and its deep red fruit, spice, orchard fruit and floral notes. This is an especially bright expression of Pinot Noir. All the elements come together so effortlessly. The 2018 is simply captivating. Bottled with no dosage.”
Marie-Courtin Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $149, that’s $141.55 at 5% off and $134.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “After years of fermentations in tank, foudre and barrel, Dominique Moreau has ventured into the foray of amphora vinification and ageing. The Blanc de Blancs is a unique blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Arbanne, all grown in the kimmeridgian-centric soils of Polisot. The resulting wine is textured, bursting with energy and goes down easy.”
No reviews for the 2020 vintage. Recent review provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 96 points “The NV (2018) Blanc de Blancs Amphora is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Arbanne done in amphora. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but what I like most about the 2018 its energy and cut. Readers will find a Champagne of tremendous distinction. Or is it wine? The 2018 straddles this line beautifully, framed by bright acids that lend vibrancy to lemon peel, mint, white flower and grassy notes that build in the glass. This is one of the most interesting and compelling Champagnes I have tasted in some time. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: June, 2021. (Drink between 2021-2028)”
Marie-Courtin Concordance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “Harvest from massale selection vines 35-40 years in age from a single, 2.5 hectares parcel located in Polisot (Cote des Bar) … Aged sur lie for three years … Dominique’s zero dosage, zero sulfur Pinot Noir is powerful and complex.”
The flagship bottling:
Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 2 bottles in stock now
Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018 1.5L Displayed Price: $199, that’s $189.05 at 5% off and $179.10 at 10% off, 1 magnum in stock now
Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018 3L Displayed Price: $449, that’s $426.55 at 5% off and $404.10 at 10% off, 1 double-magnum in stock now
Importer Note “This barrel fermented vintage cuvee is made from grapes from the bottom of the hill, which Dominique believes results in greater power and aging potential. Zero dosage.”
Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Marie-Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2017 1.5L Displayed Price: $179, that’s $170.05 at 5% off and $161.10 at 10% off, 1 magnum in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 91 points “The 2017 Extra Brut Efflorescence (100% Pinot Noir) displays good depth texturally and lovely persistence, but I would like to see more focus on the aromatics. Then again, this is a 2017. A slightly forgiving palate is required to fully appreciate this. Zero dosage. Disgorged in March of 2023. (Drink between 2023-2029).”
Shop our ten Marie-Courtin selections on sale now on our webstore!
Don’t miss our additional sales going on now:
Dal Forno
5% off any 2-3 in-stock Dal Forno Amarone wines
10% off any 4 or more in-stock Dal Forno Amarone wines
&
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Dal Forno Valpolicella wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Dal Forno Valpolicella wines
Marietta
5% off any 6-11 in-stock bottles from Marietta
10% off any 12 or more in-stock bottles from Marietta
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Dal Forno sale ends Wednesday, September 25th at 9 am Pacific. Marietta sale ends Thursday, September 26th at 9 am Pacific.