The
Doyard family traces their roots in Champagne back to the 17th century. Maurice
Doyard, was the first in the family to make wine in the region of Vertus,
officially signifying the domaine's foundation. In 1979, Yannick Doyard took
over the domaine, turning it into a beacon for precise, mineral-etched
Champagne. Today, Yannick's son Guillaume is at the helm, farming 25 acres of
vineyards in Vertus and the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil, Cramant, Oger,
Avize and Aÿ. The viticultural philosophy employed by the domaine is a
'non-dogmatic' approach to biodynamic farming with absolutely no herbicides or
pesticides used. Most of the vineyards are worked by horse and yields are
intentionally kept very low, adding to the focused intensity that defines the
house style. In the cellar, a state-of-the-art press is employed for a delicate
extraction of the purest form and every parcel is vinified separately. All of
the wines undergo very long lees aging, a minimum of 48 months, lending a
remarkable quality to the wines that have become the envy of the region.
This stunning
"prestige" Grand Cru bottling from Doyard is 65% Chardonnay coming from Avize
Grand Cru and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru and 35% Pinot Noir coming from
Aÿ
Grand Cru, fermented and aged in older Burgundy barrels, and then aged on the
lees for 120 months before release.
"A spectacular wine, Doyard's 2008 Extra-Brut
Grand Cru Les Lumières was disgorged in November 2018 with minimal dosage.
Unwinding in the glass with aromas of orange oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit,
fresh pastry, honeycomb and almond paste, it's full-bodied, searingly
concentrated and intense, with a racy spine of acidity, immense depth at the core
and a long, electric finish." ~The Wine Advocate, 97 Points.
