Françoise Bedel L'Âme de la Terre Millésime 2006
- Region
- France » Champagne » Champagne AOC » Vallée de la Marne
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2006
- Disgorged
- 2021-01
- On lees
- 156 months
- Grapes
- Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 4.65
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Ratings
Returning to bottles like this is truly a blessing. Opening it early in the evening was inspiring (thank you, Maksym), allowing us the clarity and energy to fully appreciate its nuances. The nose is exquisite, with aromas of chalk, Jerez, cider, mushroom soup, damp cellar, honey, and almonds. It intriguingly balances pomp and austerity, offering remarkable concentration and intensity. The palate is pronounced, rich, and surprisingly fresh, with an impressively long finish where flavours seem to evolve endlessly. Truly magnificent.
This wine remains a continual delight, offering a rare combination of affordability and skilled craftsmanship in a 17-year-old Champagne. It presents earthy tones of wet leaves and a damp cellar, complemented by notes of Jerez, chalk, mushrooms, baked apples and honey, alongside nutty undertones. Almost perfectly balanced, it is pronounced, nuanced, fresh, and rich, culminating in a wonderful tasting experience.
This wine remains a standout for its consistent gorgeousness and sophistication. It boasts an intense and delicious profile, marked by earthy tones of wet leaves and a damp cellar. The complexity is heightened with notes of Jerez and chalk, along with the richness of mushrooms. Bruised apples bring a fruity depth, while honey and nuts add a sweet and nutty character. Floral hints of tilia and intriguing medicinal notes further contribute to its allure. On the palate, it strikes a perfect balance, showcasing its multilayered depth and persistent flavours. The wine offers an exceptional QPR ratio, making its excellence even more remarkable.
A lovely bottle that makes me happy every time we open it. Intense, multilayered and sophisticated. Great style.
Any day ending with a bottle of this wine is a good day. Consistently gorgeous, intense, sophisticated and delicious wine. Wet leaves, wet cellar, Jerez, chalk, mushrooms, bruised apples, honey and nuts. Perfectly balanced, multilayered and persistent. You wake up with every taste bud remembering the taste.
I guessed Bedel and this specific wine. My bet was based on the combination of style and age. What can I say? Marvellous wine. Wet leaves, wet cellar, Jerez, chalk, mushrooms, bruised apples, honey and nuts. Fresh, intense and almost perfectly balanced with a very long aftertaste. It's multilayered and sophisticated.
What a beauty. Expressive, intense and generous, it greets you warmly with notes of the wet cellar, mushrooms, Jerez, baked and bruised apples, honey and nuts. Soft, almost perfectly balanced, multilayered with a long and persistent aftertaste. Arguably, one of the best value for money among Champagne wines. Besides, I was lucky to get it for ~$60.
The Soul of the Earth. 16 years old cuvée that spent 13 years on lees. Result? Amazing! Expressive oxidative bouquet full of baked apples, bruised apples, honey, nuts and Jerez. Soft, almost perfectly balanced, multilayered with good volume and long evolving aftertaste. Delicious.
About Producer
Françoise Bedel stands out not only for her remarkable journey into winemaking but also for her unique approach to viticulture and winemaking. Hailing from the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne, located on the western edge of Champagne, Bedel's estate is a testament to her dedication and passion for winemaking. Her journey into biodynamic winemaking, inspired by her personal experiences and a deep reverence for nature, has set her apart in a region celebrated for its long-standing conventional vinegrowing and winemaking traditions.
The 8-hectare estate, cultivated with vines aged between 30 and 60 years, reflects Bedel's commitment to biodynamic practices since 1998. This approach, centred around the interplay between soil, subsoil, and the vine's root system, allows for the fullest expression of the terroir in her grapes. The unique bio-dynamic compost used in the vineyards, containing preparations made from yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion, and valerian, is a testament to her dedication to fostering a harmonious relationship between the vineyard and its natural environment.
Located in the Marne Valley, known for its quality Pinot Meunier grapes, Bedel's estate predominantly focuses on this variety, along with smaller plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Her Champagnes, often aged for more than six years on the lees, are renowned for their depth and complexity. This extended lees ageing, combined with low or zero dosage, results in Champagnes with significant weight, heft, and lingering acidity.