Champagne Guide

Jactev Dumangin's blood flows with a love for the terroir that he inherited from his ancestor Firmin Dumangin, who in the mid-seventeenth' centurv owned and cultivated a few acres of vineyard in Ludes. Jacky Dumangin's resolutely traditional approach to the wine-growing process results in a full range of cuveés, each with its own typical style.

The robe is a lustrous pale gold, with an abundantly regular effervescence that gives rise to a profusion of tiny, turbulent bubbles, making a delicate cordon. As the wine is swirled, a discreet nose reluctantly releases pleasing fruit aromas (cherry, black currant), eventually fleshing them out with hints of freshly pressed citrus (pink grapefruit, tangerine) and the scents of lightly buttered toast and yeast. No doubt the limited olfactory development is due to the short period spent aging on lees (two years). Following a rounded, nervous attack, the wine demonstrates a rectilinear palate that is nonetheless full of promise, presenting an array of well-defined, lively, and subtle flavours, such as nuts and dried fruits (hazelnut, currant), zest of preserved citrus (tangerine, lemon), and acacia honey. The finish is punctuated by a welcome hint of acidity with traces of virtually indefinable fruit and the faintest suggestion of liquorice.

This is a classically fresh, balanced cuvée that achieves just the right blend of lightness and acidity. It is extremely pleasant as an aperitif or at the start of a meal, to underscore the delicacy of such dishes as asparagus tips with morel mushrooms in puff pastry, a gratin of langoustines à l'américaine, or a John Dory roasted on its stun.