Champagne Alexandre Lamblot “Intuition” 2019 Nature, Valle de Marne France

Disgorged in 2022, the latest rendition of Lamblot's NV Brut Nature Intuition Nature is based on the 2019 vintage, and it represents a step up from its 2018 predecessor. Offering up aromas of crisp orchard fruit, bread dough, warm spices and toasted nuts, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pillowy attack that segues into a fleshy, elegantly vinous and nicely concentrated mid-palate that's framed by chalky dry extract. Located in Janvry, with vines in Vrigny and Gueux, Alexandre Lamblot continues to push forward with his ambitious project. Organic conversion began in 2016, and Lamblot is testing the limits viticulturally, planting hundreds of fruit trees throughout his 3.8-hectare estate, pruning late in cordons, rolling the canopies instead of hedging and cultivating the soils using a small caterpillar-tracked "chénillard" instead of a heavy tractor, as well as experimenting with permaculture. Such methods mean that, thus far, yields have been very low. Harvest occurs in the small hour