Zero to Hero: Five Brut Nature Champagnes Worth Drinking (Plus, a Secret Sixth Thing)
The world of Brut Nature champagne is a rapidly growing one. With the goal of producing the most essential edit of grapes without additional sugars, these wines offer adventure in honesty, experimentation, and ecological context. We’ve curated a list of Brut Nature champagnes that manage to celebrate and explore in very unique ways.
Ruinart Blanc Singulier Edition 18 Champagne. Image: Benjamin Schmidt for The Interior Review.
What is Brut Nature champagne?
Brut Nature is a type of champagne that has no added sugar beyond the naturally-occurring sugar found at the final fermentation. This additional sugar content is known as dosage. Common Brut champagnes have 0-12g/l of added sugar and represent the vast majority of cuvées. For a champagne to be considered Brut Nature, it must have between zero to 3 grams per liter of added sugar. If you want to go deeper into the history and character of Brut Nature champagne, we’ve written an examination here.
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Why drink Brut Nature champagne?
Brut Nature champagne captivates the senses with its unadulterated purity and unparalleled elegance thanks to its lack of added sugar. Without this addition, the true essence of the champagne's terroir and vintage is able to shine through as what goes into the bottle is limited to what came from the earth merged with the wisdom provided by generations of experience. By embracing Brut Nature champagne, one not only indulges in the epitome of refinement but also honors the craftsmanship and dedication of the winemakers. It's a toast to honesty and experimentation, to the beauty of simplicity, and to the sheer pleasure of savoring champagne in its most genuine form.
Which foods should I pair with Brut Nature Champagne?
By design (thanks to no added sugar), these champagnes revel in their complex terroirs and bring out interesting new qualities in the most familiar foods. Some of our favorite food pairings for these very dry champagnes include risotto, fish tacos, noodle dishes such as Pad Thai, french fries, lobster, a Caprese salad, and snails. Of course, certain cheeses and breads can match well. Fruits can be a challenging companion due to the slightly elevated acidity of these wines.
Brut Nature Champagnes to Try
Ruinart Blanc Singulier Edition 18 Champagne
Ruinart Blanc Singulier Edition 18 Champagne. Image: Ruinart.
Dosage: 0g/l (Brut Nature)
What is it: With no added sugar, this grounded offering from Ruinart is composed of 100% chardonnay grapes with the overwhelming majority of the grapes coming from a 2018 harvest. It is made from fruit grown in the Côte des Blancs but also from the Montagne de Reims, the Coteaux d'Epernay and Sézannais. A limited release, the wine spent three years of aging in the cellar. Most interestingly, Ruinart has chosen to release this wine as a pointed observation and reaction to the effects of a changing climate on growth in Champagne— one of the few champagnes to directly and frankly consider this impact without reservation or hype.
How to talk about it: Ruinart is maintains a remarkably liberated flavor profile across the portfolio, and this Brut Nature cuvée is no different. It is meant to be taken at face value: a champagne crafted with the environment and by the environment The first of a new Edition series, the Ruinart Blanc Singulier offering will succeed one another at the rhythm of the years marked by atypical climate conditions. For 2018, the Edition documents an unusually early harvest marked by warmth and little rain. The series is- ultimately- an open-ended conversation, sure to be fascinating.
What it tastes like: Fruit-forward but not fruity. Spacious fruits like peaches. Some candied citrus. Honeyed floral notes with final edge of herbs and spices. A mild nibble of green wheat. It can seem improvised and a little experimental. But, of course, the image of effortlessness is a major undertaking.
Where to find it: By the glass? Not easy, but we know Gary Russell, the wine director at Annabelle in Washington, D.C. has included it in on the menu. It’s also available on Millesima Fine Wine.
Tarlant Brut Nature Zero Champagne
Tarlant Brut Nature Zero Champagne. Image: Tarlant.
Dosage: 0g/l (Brut Nature)
What is it: A critical player in the early grower-producer movement, Tarlant has shifted from a niche, experimental house to an award-winning tastemaker in the space of zero-dosage champagnes. Sourced from nine hectares of organically farmed estate parcels across four villages in Vallée de la Marne, it is a meticulously crafted champagne. Comprising equal parts Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, it undergoes spontaneous fermentation in Burgundian barrels without malolactic fermentation.
How to talk about it: The Tarlant Brut Nature Zero represents 70% of Tarlant’s bottled production. About 90% of the Tarlant production is bottled without dosage, a very rare and distinct stylistic choice for the region. The winery is run by 12th generation winemaker Benoît Tarlant, and produces classically driven, forward-thinking, organic Champagnes
What it tastes like: Tarlant’s Brut Nature Zero features a rounder, richer mouthfeel and softer acid than most champagnes. The pour as has weight and sheer power but also incredible freshness, despite scattered claims that Brut Nature champagnes do not age well due to low sugars. The champagne features rich hints of roasted nut and salted butter underscore the palate's black cherry and lemon curd flavors.
Where to find it: Low volumes of importing makes this a tricky one. Find it online at Pinnacle Liquor.
Louis Roederer Brut Nature 2012 Champagne by Philippe Starck
Louis Roederer Brut Nature 2012 Champagne by Philippe Starck. Image: Louis Roederer.
Dosage: 0g/l (Brut Nature)
What is it: Accenting the creativity and experimentation that the Brut Nature designation practically demands, this limited edition expression of champagne features no dosage while preserving the integrity of the house. The 2012 vintage is a testament to the surprising energy of nature as it unfolds with layers of complexity. Its color is marked by a golden yellow hue flecked with green. Delicate, compact, gentle bubbles come forth. Brut Nature, in its unadulterated form, speaks with unbridled honesty. With nearly 241 hectares of vines, the Louis Roederer house derives its strength from its vineyard, made up solely of Grands and Premiers Crus.
How to talk about it: 2012 was a challenging year in Champagne due to difficult weather and low yields. But those with comfortable vineyards and plenty of patience were rewarded with the gift of very mature grapes. As a celebration of this remarkable and unusual year, an ecelectic and memorable bottle design was commissioned the house and executed by French designer Philippe Starck. The yield also produced a limited rosé.
What it tastes like: Revels in the nuances of orchard fruits and toasted almonds, the Louis Roederer Brut Nature is dominated by juiciness and a crystalline character- the evolution of compacted minerals. It is joyfully energetic for a champagne.
Where to find it: Find it online at Millesima Fine Wine.
Drappier Brut Nature N.V. Champagne
Drappier Brut Nature N.V. Champagne. Image: Champagnes Drappier.
Dosage: 0g/l (Brut Nature)
What is it: Offering an adventure in essential winemaking, the Drappier Brut Nature is unique among this class of champagnes with its composition of 100% Pinot Noir grapes. It presents a golden hue with copper highlights and petit, patient bubbles. With grapes grown in the exceptional Côte des Bar's limestone, the production showcases purity and sustainability with the use of gravity for pressing, low sulfites and no filtering. It spends 36 months on the lees, ensuring a robust profile at the time of pouring.
Drappier Brut Nature Sans Soufre
A unique elaboration on the Brut Nature, the Drappier Brut Nature Sans Soufre is among the most “natural” of the champagnes available today. With no added sugar, this champagne also features no added sulfites, ideal for those with a sulfite allergy. This intentional champagne is a treat for purists and adventurers.
How to talk about it: Ideal as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to seafood or sashimi, the Drappier Brut Nature is a statement of a champagne. Indulge in the conversations it elicits. Champagnes Drappier is a family-owned winery founded in 1808, currently run by three generations of the Drappier family. The estate is located on an old abbey cellar which was built in 1152.
What it tastes like: Freshly pressed black grapes alongside a delightful medley of red, white, and citrus fruits. Its ample texture reveals flavors of vineyard peach intertwined with aromatic herbs, leading to a spicy finish.
Where to find it: Known to be served in New York City at Alain Ducasse’s Benoit. Otherwise, find it online at Millesima Fine Wine.
Ayala Brut Nature Champagne
Ayala Brut Nature Champagne. Image: Champagne Ayala.
Dosage: 0g/l (Brut Nature)
What is it: Ayala’s Brut Nature is the epitome of purity and finesse. The house is famous for innovating in the low-dosage space as early as the 19th century and has continued a tradition of refinement and consistency across several cuvées that bare no additional sugar. A testament to its high quality vineyards and exact harvest strategy, it is practically a miracle that Ayala has managed to maintain such standards for so long. This Brut Nature champagne showcases the essence of the terroir with the precision of a timepiece.
what to drink as a first Brut Nature Champagne
Ayala’s Brut Nature is a suitable entry point for those just beginning to explore the world of zero-sugar champagne. With a warm hue, bright bubbles and mild palate, Ayala’s minimalist approach can help contextualize future encounters with Brut Nature champagnes.
How to talk about it: Ayala is among the experts in low dosage and no-dosage champagnes given its decades of experimentation. The focus on precision is nearly obsessive, but with delightful results the work is worth the effort. The majority of this champagne is composed of Chardonnay grapes with an addition of Pinot Noir. The cuvée is completed with a minor mention of Pinot Meunier. The wine has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
What it tastes like: Citrus and water-infused honey. Crisp acidity harmonizes with delicate flavors, creating a refreshing and elegant palate.
Where to find it: Find it online at Millesima Fine Wine and some French restaurants that heavily feature seafood.
Honorable Mention: Champagne Telmont Vinothèque 2013
Champagne Telmont Vinothèque 2013. Image: Champagne Telmont.
Dosage: 2.5g/l (Ultra Brut or Brut Nature)
What is it: Slipping into the Brut Nature category by just half a gram, this very-low-sugar champagne is a showcase in how effective Telmont’s philosophy of centering ecology and sustainability has been in its production. A true child of the grower-producer movement, Telmont’s sustainability-first approach has resulted in innovations such as the world’s lightest champagne bottle and the goal of using 100% organic-certified agriculture to produce all of its wines.
How to talk about it: Bucking a trend of lower Pinot Meunier presence in champagne, Vinothèque 2013 features a blend with 43% Pinot Meunier grapes. 2013 was a rough year from a quantity perspective, but the quality imbued by stormy and sunny days made the harvest worthy of a legacy. In line with Telmont’s ethos, production heavily minimizes the presence herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals. This low dosage champagne is as natural as they come, truly in the name of Mother Nature.
What it tastes like: Fruit-forward but not fruity. Spacious fruits like peaches. Some candied citrus. Honeyed floral notes with final edge of herbs and spices. A mild nibble of green wheat. It can seem improvised and a little experimental. But, of course, the image of effortlessness is a major undertaking.
Where to find it: We know the New York City outpost of the Paris-based Brasserie Fouquet’s will bring out bottles of Telmont on occasion. You might need to specifically ask for it by the glass. Otherwise, find it online.
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