Alexandre Filaine Cuvee Speciale Brut, Champagne, France (2021)

Alexandre Filaine is the personal label of Fabrice Gass, who until just a few years ago was a longtime winemaker at Bollinger.

Fabrice uses only organic practices in his vineyards, however due to his parcels all being relatively small, spread out and surrounded by multiple other growers who do not farm organically his wines fall under the lutte raisone label. Small amounts of sulfur is the only things he applies to his vineyards.

The winemaking here could easily be described as archaic or old fashioned. He has just one traditional vertical press that is used for all of his wine. The juice is pressed to old, enameled steel tanks to settle before being transferred to old barrels for native yeast fermentation. In accordance to his old fashioned methods, none of his wines go through malolactic, although he does not actively block malo, the naturally high acidity of his fruit keeps malolactic from occurring naturally. Secondary fermentation in bottle takes place under cork and Fabrice hand riddles all his wines himself, not to mention hand disgorging all the bottles as well.

45% Pinot Noir | 30% Chardonnay | 25% Pinot Meunier