Champagne Chavost
Fabian Daviaux is extremely focused and passionate about winemaking naturally. He is the seventh generation of the family to be a Grower and a winemaker.
In 2008 Fabian graduated from the Georges Chappaz Institute based at the University of Reims. He then decided to expand his winemaking knowledge and spent some time traveling the world making wine on four different continents.
His philosophy around organic wine developed during his studies. Initially organic wines were hard to find on the market and many were not to Fabian’s taste or badly made. This changed over the years, Fabian continued to learn and work with like-minded friends and his focus was to work without chemicals in the vineyard and the cellar.
Under Fabians leadership the Daviaux family vineyards will become organically certified after the 2022 vintage.
In addition to managing the 5ha of family vineyards Fabian became the Cellarmaster of the Cooperative in Chavot Courcourt in April 2019. The cooperative was founded by his grand-father and eleven other families in 1946.
The Cooperative members now number around thirty families many of whom have seen the results that Fabian has produced and have decided work in a more natural way. His dream is that in time one day all the Growers will be organic!
The Champagne Chavost “No added Sulphites” range was first released in April 2021. McCarthy & Mitchell secured the last allocation of Fabian’s first wines.
The four cuvées are all single year (2019) and made from organically grown grapes from the family’s 5ha of vineyards across 22 plots. The vines are between 35 and 60 years old.
When asked, Fabian said that he is an extremist in his thinking and that he has spent thirteen years learning and understanding how to make wine without sulphites.
Having tasted many “natural” wines I would not class Fabian as an extremist but certainly someone who has not followed his original teachings and has made a highly sought after and wonderful organic Champagne. Not to mention the Coteaux Champenois!
CHAMPAGNE CHAVOST RANGE
Blanc d’Assemblage - Brut Nature
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: 100 % done in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. No use of added sulphites, settling is done without enzymes, no tanin nor coal, no chaptalisation. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) at 17°C and spontaneous malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria) at 20°C. Once ready, wines are not finned (means clarified) before bottling, no acidification nor deacidification.
Assemblage: 47 % de Chardonnay, 47 % de Meunier and 6 % Pinot Noir, all from Cuvée (first press).
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Quantity: 8 896 bottles (75cl) et 315 magnums (1,5l)
Volatile acidity = 0.29 g/L, pH = 3.12, « Naturally produced SO2 »: only 15 mg/L
Nose: Pleasant and powerful on red fruits aromas & candy, then lactic and buttery notes.
Mouth/Palate: Vinous with a strong structure, suppleness and a perfect balance.
Blanc de Meunier - Brut Nature
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: 100 % done in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. No use of added sulphites, settling is done without enzymes, no tanin nor coal, no chaptalisation. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) at 17°C and spontaneous malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria) at 20°C. Once ready, wines are not finned (means clarified) before bottling, no acidification nor deacidification.
Assemblage: 100 % Meunier, all from Cuvée (first press)
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Quantity: 3 709 bottles (75cl)
Volatile acidity = 0.26 g/L, pH = 3.16, « Naturally produced SO2 » : only 14 mg/L
Nose: Nose on delicate fruits like small stewed red fruits, pear and apple, white flowers like hawthorn
Mouth/Palate: Very vinous with high amplitude, retro-olfaction brings back what we perceived at first nose, end of mouth has a real length and persistence...
Eurêka ! - Brut Nature
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: 100 % Grapes and 0% input of anything. Alcoholic fermentation and natural fermentation (indigenous yeast) with no added sulphites or any other additions. Absolutely no sugar is added even for the second fermentation. It is not been fined or filtered and any slight cloudiness it totally natural and in no way detracts from the taste.
Assemblage: 70 % Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay and 15% Meunier, all from Cuvée (first press).
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Quantity: 1 987 bottles (75cl)
Volatile acidity = 0.27 g/L, pH = 3.15, « Naturally produced SO2 » : only 6 mg/L
Nose: Very typical of the Pinot Noirs of Chavot-Courcourt, buttery and milky but with grey pepper, chalk and small red fruits
Mouth/Palate: Extremely vinous and powerful, very rich but with a perfect freshness. A truly particular wine with the typical long finish associated with Pinot Noirs.
Ratafia
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification:
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Blanc de Chardonnay - Extra Brut
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: 100 % done in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. No use of added sulphites, settling is done without enzymes, no tanin nor coal, no chaptalisation. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) at 17°C and spontaneous malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria) at 20°C. Once ready, wines are not finned (means clarified) before bottling, no acidification nor deacidification.
Assemblage: 100% Chardonnay, all from Cuvée (first press).
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Quantity: 3 744 bottles (75cl)
Volatile acidity = 0.27 g/L, pH = 3.09, « Naturally produced SO2 » : only 18 mg/L
Nose: Yeasty first nose, creamy with hawthorn, then the second nose is more mineral with toasted bread and yellow fruits notes.
Mouth/Palate : Very round and fresh attack at once, rich and slightly chalky, fluid and great finish.
Rosé de Saignée -
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: 100 % done in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. No use of added sulphites, settling is done without enzymes, no tanin nor coal, no chaptalisation. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) at 17°C and spontaneous malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria) at 20°C. Once ready, wines are not finned (means clarified) before bottling, no acidification nor deacidification.
Assemblage: 67 % Meunier, 33 % Pinot Noir. 100 % from Saignée
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Quantity: 1069 bottles (75cl)
Volatile acidity = 0.29 g/L, pH = 3.39, « Naturally produced SO2 » : only 14 mg/L
Nose: Powerful on typical Pinot Noir and Meunier red fruits aromas, like stewed blackcurrant, cherry and raspberry
Mouth/Palate: Great structure, sensation of a red wine in mouth, great length in final opened on full red fruits
Coteaux Champenois -
Terroir and Exposition: Clay-limestone / Facing North
Surface: 5 Ha
Harvest: Manually at optimum maturity.
Vinification: Strictly without any oenological input or other addition. 100 % french oak barrels of 5 to 10 wines. No added sulphites. Settling is done without enzymes, no tanin nor coal, no chaptalization. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) and spontaneous malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria), no acidification nor deacidification. Once ready, wines are not finned (means clarified) before bottling, they are not filtered either.
Assemblage: 100 % Chardonnay, 100 % from Cuvée (first press).
Dosage: 0 g/L of added sugar at disgorgement stage.
Aging: 18 months after harvest in french oak barrels
Stock: 1182 bottles (75cl)
Volatile acidity = 0.27 g/L, pH = 3.08, « Naturally produced SO2 » : only 11 mg/L
Nose: Powerful on butter and milk alongside citrus, pineapple and toasted bread notes
Mouth/Palate : Chardonnay gives its full freshness. Also, its great maturity give a lot of vinosity and sapidity, then the final goes on pleasant chalky aromas...
For more information visit: CHAMPAGNE CHAVOST