Pascal Doquet 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Arpège

The Arpège cuvée by Pascal Doquet is a striking Blanc de Blancs Champagne, full of generosity and expressiveness. A perfect cuvée for a gourmet aperitif.

Combining the richness of Chardonnay from the clay terroirs of Vertus with the freshness and minerality of Mont Aimé, the Arpège cuvée reveals a broad aromatic palette.

The Arpège cuvée is vinified two-thirds in stainless-steel tanks and one-third in small oak barrels. After vinification, the wine is left on its lees for 3 to 4 months to give it a strong personality.

To make the Arpège cuvée, Pascal Doquet blends 65% wine from the latest harvest with 35% from a perpetual reserve started in 2012, adding around half wine from the latest vintage each year.

A pale-gold Champagne with golden glints and fine, abundant bubbles.

On the nose, the Arpège cuvée shows notes of white fruit and candied citrus, lifted by a more floral touch.

On the palate it is a balanced Champagne, moving between a lovely creamy texture and a certain complexity. This cuvée has fine structure, beautifully highlights the minerality of the Côte des Blancs and offers plenty of character, freshness and balance at the end. The finish has great aromatic persistence.

Pascal Doquet, a grower since 1982, created his own label in 2004, years after taking over his family's vineyards. His 8.7 hectares in the Côte des Blancs and Coteaux Vitryats, including vines in Vertus and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger averaging over 40 years old, have been farmed organically since 2006 and certified since 2010. Pascal avoids ploughing; mechanical work is done only on the soil surface, encouraging soil life all year round, with many plants seeding themselves naturally. Fermented with native yeasts and made with low sulphites, his wines age for six months on the lees in enamelled steel tanks and old oak barrels. The range, dominated by blanc de blancs and highlighting different terroirs, offers expressive wines with immediate charm.