100 years ago the De CASTELNAU Champagne was created, a brand with unusual foundations for a Champagne House. It owes its creation and its name to the will of a group of contractors of Epernay to pay tribute to one of the main heads of the French army during World War I: General de Curières de Castelnau.
Nowadays, become property of the Coopérative Régionale des Vins de Champagne (CRVC), De CASTELNAU continues to assert and to experience its peculiarity with the creation, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, of the HORS CATEGORIE* Cuvée whose yearly edition will be a new stopover of a journey in the world of senses and pleasures.
The Hors Catégorie cuvée is beyond categorization thanks to its yearly reinvented unique blend, transcended by a continuous and very particular elaboration mode: base and reserve wines from remarkable vintages and chosen among the most favoured growth of these particular years; a distinct elevage according to the growth of a majority of these wines in oak barrels from Argonne and from Burgundy during one year before the blending; “petite mousse” bottling to get a fine and delicate sparkling; an elevage on the lees in the bottle of 5 years at least; disgorgement six months at least before shipment.
Because this cuvée is a challenge taken up every year, it is the soul sister of these exceptionally difficult mountain passes which are the climax of certain legs of the biggest world cycle event that the House has consistently been accompanying for several years. Every edition of this vintage will be identified in reference to one of these passes. The 1st ‘Hors Catégorie’ cuvée was named “C.T 2115” in reference to the ‘Col du Tourmalet’ and to its height of 2115m. Dosed with 6g, it was bottled in 2011 in a limited edition of 3,500 bottles.
Mainly fifteen different wines have been selected. The assemblage combines a third of 2010 and, for two thirds in equal shares, reserve wines of 2009 and 2008. 17% of Chardonnay, 55% of Pinot Noir and 28% of Pinot Meunier bring the best of their personality, revealed by the barreling. Chardonnays spent one year in Argonne oak barrels, while the Pinot Noirs of Bouzy benefited from one year of maturation in three-vintage-old barrels.
The new logo made up of two silver imbricated ‘Cs’ on a black badge stand out on the white and uncluttered label. Light, delicately escaped from an ethereal strip of points perforated in the label, delicate bubbles compose the words ‘HORS CATEGORIE’ for an original bottle in a custom-made case.
Suggested retail price: €90 at wine shops.
* HORS CATEGORIE means ‘beyond categorization’
depuis 1916 plus qu’une maison, une marque » par Patrick de Gméline
September 23rd, 1916 at 3:55 p.m., is the birthday of the house. Thus celebrating its 100 years in 2016, the house called on a writer and a company historian, Patrick de Gméline. Thanks to a great work of research in archives and investigation with previous owners, he managed to redraw this first century of existence in a very beautiful richly documented work.
On sale in the Champagne de Castelnau office, €40, 180 pages, Editions de Venise.
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