Tarlant Champagne Zero Brut Nature Base 2017 750ml

Expert Reviews - Base 2017

James Suckling 93 Points | Fresh sourdough and light walnut aromas alongside sliced apples, raspberries and nutmeg. Very precise, dry and taut, with tight bubbles and subtle yeasty notes at the end. 32% pinot noir, 32% chardonnay, 32% pinot meunier and 4% petit meslier, arbanne and pinot blanc from 2017 reserve wines.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Based on the 2017 vintage, the NV Champagne Zero Brut Nature is 30% each Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay, with a small amount of Petit Meslier, Arbanne, and Pinot Blanc, and it was disgorged in July 2023. It’s a lovely release that feels perfectly suited to the vintage, with a supple, sunny, shiny character, a pillowy mousse, and notes of citrus oils, raw honey, lime pith, herbs, and hints of mint. Medium-bodied, it has a refined, chalky texture and refreshing acidity without austerity, and the savory freshness really sings. As it opens, a more floral perfume rises out of the glass.

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Vivid acidity is a live wire driving this salty Champagne, layered with flavors of poached apricotand cherry fruit, pastry dough, blanched almond andlemon pith. Taut and lip-smacking through the minerally finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Pinot Blanc.

Winemaker Description

In the vines, chemicals are never used and biodiversity is prioritized. Because of the Marne's extremely diverse terroirs, Benoit adapts his viticultural approach parcel by parcel, using the soil, grape and micro-climate to guide him.

While only contact treatments have been used for the past two generations, Benoît and Mélanie have decided to work towards organic certification.

"Our father fought for grass in the vines and to stop have garbage from cities being thrown in the vines as a fertilizer. It took five years. That was his fight. Organics seems like the challenge of our generation."

32% Pinot Noir/32% Chardonnay/32% Pinot Meunier/4% Petit Meslier + Arbanne + Pinot Blanc. This cuvée is the majority of Tarlant's production and "is my daily obsession", says Benoît Tarlant. Zero reflects the Tarlant emphasis on unadorned terroir, with no selected yeasts and no dosage. 

The compostion is generally 60% of the base vintage--in this case 2017--plus 40% reserve wines. The organically farmed, hand-harvested fruit comes potentially from all 63 of Tarlant's parcels from across 4 villages (Oeuilly, Boursault, St-Agnan and Celles-lès-Condé), with each vinified separately to give maximum flexibility in dialing in the blend.

The fruit is gently pressed and the juice fermented with natural yeasts in Burgundy barrels ranging from new to 30 years old. The wine generally does not go through malolactic fermentation. Moved by gravity only, the new vintage is blended with barrel-aged reserve wines.

The 2017-base was bottled in 2018 and disgorged in 2023 with zero dosage, as the name of the wine emphasizes.

Memo Summary Notes

The Tarlant "Zéro" Brut Nature (Base 2017) is a highly regarded grower Champagne that serves as the flagship "calling card" for the Tarlant family. Unlike standard Non-Vintage (NV) Champagnes, Tarlant clearly identifies the "Base" year of the blend to help collectors track its evolution.

Technical Profile & Composition