2014 Champagne
Christophe Baron Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JUNE 03, 2019&nbsp;&nbsp; The 2014 Brut Nature
Les Hautes Blanches Vignes is the first wine I have tasted from Christophe
Baron’s new project in Champagne, and it is magnificent. From a tiny parcel
measuring just 0.6 hectares (1.48 acres), Les Hautes Blanches Vignes is 100%
Pinot Meunier from vines planted in 1969 with a massale selection that was common at the time. Bright, focused and
chiseled, the Hautes Blanches Vignes has a level of energy and tension that is
simply unreal. Pure Meunier Champagnes have gained in popularity in recent
years, but rarely have I seen this degree of focus and vibrancy. Moreover, I am
just blown away by the wine’s textural elegance and persistence. All the
elements come together in an extraordinary Champagne that drips with class.

Baron picks around&nbsp;10-10.5% in potential
alcohol, which is pretty middle of the road, not too low, but also not the 11%
or so sought by many growers today. The 2014 was fermented in mostly neutral
barrels, with one new 600-liter barrel in the mix. Both primary and secondary
fermentations were done with indigenous yeasts. Baron likes to stir the lees
quite a bit in barrel, which is surprising, as the 2014 is such a chiseled
Champagne. To be sure, the Brut Nature style and the decision to bottle on the early side and&nbsp;only in
magnum (which is the case for all of these Champagnes) helps retain a great
deal of freshness.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1559580109407-IMG_1556_copy.jpg"> 

Vinous readers are most likely to recognize Baron for the superb
wines he makes at his Cayuse label and sister projects Horsepower Vineyards, No
Girls Wine and Hors Catégorie Vineyards, but his family is originally from
Champagne, so this project is a homecoming of sorts. “When I was younger, I
wanted nothing to do with the family business,” Baron told me recently. “There
were just too many cooks in the kitchen. So, in 1996 I left France to start
Cayuse in Walla Walla. But as I grew older, the pull of my roots became too
strong to resist,” he added.

The Baron family traces their lineage in Champagne back to
the 17th century. Christophe Baron’s grandfather, Albert Baron,
started the business in its modern-day incarnation. Baron and his wife,
Beatrice, had three sons, Gilbert (Christophe’s father), Gervais and Claude,
who each owned land and sold fruit to Champagne Baron Albert. As so often
happens in family estates, vineyard holdings were further divided with the next
generation. Christophe Baron and his sister split their land into the
arrangement that exists today. “I wanted the old-vine Meunier, which I think
really excels in the Marne Valley,” Baron explained. The 2014 Les Hautes
Blanches Vines is the first wine in the range. It will be joined by
single-parcel Champagnes from&nbsp;Le Dessus du Bois Marie, Les Alouettes and Les Closeaux in
the next few years. If the debut release is any indication, Champagne
Christophe Baron has a very bright future. The 2014 Les Hautes Blanches Vignes
is off the charts great. Don’t miss it! 96/Drink:
2020-2030.

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