Domaine Clandestin 'Austral' Blanc de Noirs

Domaine Clandestin Austral is a distinctive Blanc de Noirs Champagne made from 100% Pinot Noir in the Côte des Bar. It comes from south-facing vineyard parcels, where the grapes develop greater ripeness and concentration. The result is a generous, expressive style, with ripe apple, pear and nectarine alongside citrus, gentle spice and toasted notes. Fermentation takes place using natural yeasts, with the wine aged in oak barrels before spending further time on its lees in bottle. Despite its richness, it remains fresh and dry, with a long, saline finish. It is bottled as Brut Nature, with no added dosage.

Ripe Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Citrus, Ginger, Toast, Saline Finish

Contains sulphites.

• Scallops
• Lobster
• Roast chicken
• Smoked salmon

Austral is the southern counterpart to Clandestin's Boréal Champagne. Founder Benoît Doussot deliberately separates Pinot Noir from different vineyard exposures: Austral comes exclusively from south-facing parcels, while Boréal uses north-facing sites. The idea is to show how much difference the aspect of a vineyard can make, even when the grape variety and region are the same. The vines grow on clay and limestone soils in the Côte des Bar, with the underlying Kimmeridgian geology also found around Chablis. Clandestin is a small project, founded in 2015, which takes a very Burgundy- inspired approach to expressing individual vineyard sites.