Champagne Stéphane Regnault, Chromatique NV

Stéphane Regnault returned to his family domaine in the Côte des Blancs in 2007, after already having two careers. Most recently he had been working as a sommelier in London at Le Pont de la Tour, and before that he was an aerospace engineer.

Inspired by conversations with many of the young winemakers in Champagne, Stéphane’s first decision upon returning was to stop using herbicides in the vineyards and convert to organic farming.

Stéphane released his first wines in 2018, a single vineyard terroir from the two Grand Cru villages he farms in Oger and Le Mesnil. The vines are between 40 and 60 years old. From these two plots, Stéphane has selected three parcels for his cuvées: Chemin de Flavigny in Oger; Moulin, on the border between Oger and Le Mesnil; and Hautes- Mottes in Le Mesnil. These plots were selected to best show the terroir within a multivintage Champenois tradition, and with vinification and elevage the same for each parcel you are able to get the true identity of the site. Fermentation is 2/3 in stainless steel, and 1/3 in used barrels. Malolactic is left to either take place or not. Finally, when the time is right, the year’s wine is blended into one of three perpetual solera that each cuvée eventually is bottled from.

Each cuvée is named after a different jazz mode, a nod to Stéphane’s passion for playing the jazz saxophone.

Chromatique is Stephane's more immediate, rich non-vintage blend. Taken from a little of every parcel he has in the cellar, Stéphane explains that the chromatic scale in music is the one which uses all the available notes, and so was a beautiful fit for this wine.