Charles Dufour, Champagne ‘Bulles de Comptoir #11’ Extra Brut NV

Based in Landreville in the Aube, Champagne vigneron Charles Dufour began his career in 2006 with a more conventional approach to Champagne, but soon thereafter made the switch to organic viticulture (conversion of his six hectares was completed in 2010). Dufour’s are Champagnes of authenticity, reflecting, along with many other sensitive new vignerons in this subregion, the potential of the terroir of the Côte des Bars. 

Dufour only ever employs spontaneous ferments for vin clairs, and the wines are free of added sulfur. He’s also taken an interest in employing Pinot Blanc in his cuvées, with this variety figuring strongly in his Bulles de Comptoir bottlings. (Recently he bottled a single varietal Pinot Blanc from a single vineyard, Le Champs du Clos.) All primary ferments are conducted in old tanks and burgundy pièces with native yeast and full malolactic completed. Dufour doesn’t top up his tanks or barrels often, as he likes the oxidative character it lends the wines. Dosage is very low; liqueur de tirage is a blend of Dufour’s own wine and cane sugar; the yeasts used for secondary fermentation are derived from his own vineyards. None of his wines are ever fined or filtered.

Recently, Dufour has expanded his Champagne range, by making new wines from vineyards of his mother Françoise Martinot’s side of the family. This is the source for the second label Françoise Martinot and the ‘Bistrøtage’ line: two suites of bubbles from the same winemaker, simply reflecting different family holdings and a slightly different style. These wines are always single vintage, vinified with no added SO2 and no dosage.

We’re very pleased to offer the tiniest amount of these wines to a few select customers—and we’re happy to have such a progressive producer from the Aube along with our other friends elsewhere in Champagne.

80% 2020 + 20% RESERVE PERPETUELLE (2010-2019)

Type: Sparkling
Producer: Charles Dufour
Varietal:  60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Blanc.
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Farming: Organic, low sulphur