Austin, TX, September 21, 2021 — Champagne Bruno Paillard, one of Champagne’s few remaining independent, family-owned maisons, confirms the U.S. release of the new Blanc de Blancs 2012 (SRP $95), marking the first new vintage Blanc de Blancs from Bruno Paillard since the 2006.
The Blanc de Blancs 2012 (see bottle shot attached) is made exclusively from the first, purest pressing – that’s the first 16 oz. of juice extracted from 2.2 lbs. of grapes. The 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay grapes are from the heart of the Côte des Blancs, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Twenty two percent of the grapes are vinified in old barriques. The wine later spent eight years aging in the cellar, followed by 12 months’ rest post-disgorgement, prior to release. Dosage, in line with the Champagne Bruno Paillard house style, is Extra Brut, and at 3g/L, the lowest to date for a vintage Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs.
Alice Paillard describes the 2012 as “strength marries grace.” Oger fruit provides a fleshy, citrus-like mandarin orange quality. Le Mesnil fruit lends austerity and structure. “They need one other. Each elevates the whole.” Weather in 2012 was a dramatic roller coaster: cold snaps, hail, heat, and drought, with the result that yields were low. The quality, however, was exceptional.
Bruno Paillard Blancs de Blanc 2012 shows the intense aromas characteristic of the vintage. Initially reserved, the nose opens up to notes of citrus and grapefruit, followed by intense aromas of ripe stone fruit, honey, white flowers, even menthol. After several minutes, licorice notes appear, alongside toasted bread and frangipane mixed with candied fruit. On the palate, all those notes translate into successive waves of flavor, along with salinity and the spice of cedar wood.
The label design illustrates the character of the vintage: “strength marries grace.” Japanese artist Takehiko Sugawara depicts a cherry tree, its ancient, twisted boughs crowned by delicate, ethereal pink blossoms.
Champagne Bruno Paillard Blanc de Bancs 2012 / SRP $95
Imported by Serendipity Wine Imports, Austin, TX
About Champagne Bruno Paillard
Champagne native Bruno Paillard started out with no land, stock, capital, or grapes, just a fund of knowledge and 50,000 francs after trading in his vintage Jaguar in 1981. His motive: to make the kind of Champagne he enjoys drinking. His daughter Alice Paillard now runs the House, including 79 acres, almost half of which are Grand Cru, accounting for over 50% of production. Call it a “small great house” or a “BIG small producer,” Maison Bruno Paillard blends the best of both, creating elegant, pure, dry, and longer-matured Champagnes prized around the world.
