A. Margaine "Special Club" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2018
(Champagne, France) - [VM 94] [JD 94]

About the winery:

Arnaud Margaine took over this six and a half hectare estate from his father Bernard in 1989 and is the fourth generation of his family to work these vineyards in the Montagne de Reims. The estate was founded in the 1920s and was expanded by Bernard in the 1950s. In 1977 Bernard joined the Special Club and Arnaud has continued his father’s commitment to high quality champagnes and continues to improve his raw materials in the vineyard.

The majority of Margaine’s holdings are in the village of Villers-Marmery, a 95% village for Chardonnay, and the parcels here are old averaging about 32 years. Margaine also has a small parcel of Pinot Noir in the village of Verzy.

The methods at this estate are not formulaic and Arnaud continues to experiment with new ideas in both the vineyard and the cellar. He prefers to make decisions in the cellar based on what he feels the wines need, rather than what was done in the previous year. Arnaud is preventing malolactic fermentation in a higher proportion of the wines, saying that he finds that non-malo wines have more freshness of fruit. “It’s not just the acidity” he says, “but the fruit as well. With the malo you lose a little of that fresh fruitiness.”

Region: Montagne de Reims
Premier cru sites in Villers-Marmery
Total vineyard holdings: 6.5 hectares
Annual production: 5,800 cases
Vines: 90% chardonnay, 10% pinot noir

Notes from the winemaker:

cépage 100% Chardonnay
village/vyd Villers-Marmery 1er Cru; Levois, Grand Arbe,
Montmedy & Ruelles — Chalk and clay soils
malo Yes
élevage 80% Stainless steel, 20% oak barrels
sur latte 60 Months
dégorgement January 2021 (8C)

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Vinous Media:
The 2018 Brut Blanc de Blancs Spécial Club is terrific. Bright and finely cut, this chiseled jewel of a wine impresses with its weight, energy and tension. Lemon peel, chalk, mint, white pepper, lemon oil and crushed rocks bristle with saline-infused energy. I especially admire the vibrancy and delineation here. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 2025. (Drink between 2025-2033)

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
The bright yellow 2018 Champagne Special Club Blanc de Blancs Brut is sourced from plots in Alouettes, Broccots, and Montmedy, situated on clay and limestone soils. It's gorgeous on the nose, with floral notes of lime blossoms, candied citrus, green apples, and fresh pastry cream. Medium-bodied, it has a nice focus, and while it doesn't have the most destiny, it’s a highly appealing wine now and should also drink well for another 10-15 years. Disgorged in March 2025, it has 7 grams per liter dosage. 3800 bottles were produced. Drink 2026-2040.

A member of the Club Trésors de Champagne (Special Club), A. Margarine is based in the village of Villers-Marmery in the Vallée de la Marne. It is a village uniquely suited to Chardonnay rather than the more common Meunier of the region, as there is a higher proportion of chalk in their soils than that of their neighbors. Annual production is approximately 70,000 bottles from 6.5 hectares of vineyards, primarily located in Villers-Marmery. The vineyard area is comprised of 90% Chardonnay and the remainder Pinot Noir. The majority of the wines for this report were tasted twice: at the Domaine with Mathilde Margaine and her father, Arnaud, and in New York. Mathilde returned to the estate in 2018, but this was my first tasting with her, where she shared her personal experience. (Drink between 2026-2040)