Marie-Courtin Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne Efflorescence 2018

94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "[$98 list] The 2018 Extra Brut Efflorescence, 100% Pinot Noir, is superb. Rich, ample and creamy, the 2018 is super-impressive. Old vines yield a Pinot of real character and nuance that stands out in a vintage in which so many wines are on the lighter side. Time in the glass releases so much Pinot breadth, structure and textural intensity. Hints of spice, kirsch and dried flowers linger. No dosage. Disgorged: December 2023. Drink: 2024-2031. (Dec 2024)"

This superb, barrel matured Champagne comes from Polisot in the Aube, where clay and limestone mark the wines, giving them a different minerality than the chalky Pinots of Bouzy and Ambonnay to the north. Rarely does the Aube's terroir sing through as vibrantly as in the wines of Dominique Moreau of Marie-Courtin. Efflorescence is made from 100% Pinot Noir from the bottom of the south-facing hillside which she believes produces wines with the most power and structure. The vines that make Efflorescence are over 50 years old on average, massale selected, and biodynamically farmed. The wine is is long and packed with acidity and stony mineral notes. A powerful, earthy Champagne that is dry, rich, and utterly delicious. Zero dosage.