Champagne Francis Orban Extra Brut Millésime 2016 Simply exceptional Extra Brut 2016 vintage Champagne!
Flavor Profile: Tangerine, golden apples, marzipan
Time on Lees: 58 months
Disgorgement Date: January 2021
Dosage: 3 grams per liter
Farming Method: Sustainable Practices
Why We Love It...
This is a predominantly pinot meunier house that is showing their skills with the small amount of chardonnay (roughly 10% of their plantings) they grow – producing a focused, expressive cuvée that abounds in complexity. All at 40% OFF!
The Orban story truly begins back in 1929 when Léopold Orban stopped selling his grapes to larger houses in Epernay and started producing Champagnes of his own. This made him one of the very first grower-producers in his village – and the beginnings of a family run house that continues today. Now, four generations later, Francis Orban has taken over the family business with 18 acres of vineyards in the Marne, on the sandy, clay-rich soils around the villages of Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme.
The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in temp-controlled stainless steel tanks, before aging for nearly five years on the lees and finished with a light three g/liter dosage. This is a seductively rich and ripe Champagne, with aromas that start with cherries, tropical papaya, and biscuit dough, and leads into flavors of lemon cream, tangerine, wet stone, golden apples, chervil and marzipan. Refined and elegant, this offering is decidedly weightier than most Extra Bruts, and a perfect accompaniment to charcuterie boards, pâtés and the like.
This 2016 vintage cuvee clocks in at 80% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier from 30-40 year old plantings in their vineyards. 2016 had a challenging start to the growing season, with hail and frost significantly affecting yields across all of Champagne. And yet, thanks in part to late season warmth and sunshine (as well as the flexible nature of smaller farming crews), the fruit that made it into the winery was pristine – loaded with richness and intensity, as the lower cropload on the vines harnessed the energy of the vines into small, yet concentrated berries. This is amongst the very best 2016 vintage Champagnes we have tasted yet, and certainly bodes well for both near-term drinking and long-term cellaring. This is top-quality, vinous Champagne and a perfect addition to any Champagne collection… grab a handful and you won’t regret it!
Technical Details
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appellation: Marne Valley
Varietal: Champagne Blends
Winemaker: Francis Orban
Farming Method: Sustainable Practices
Alcohol: 12%
Pair it with: Pâté en croute
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About the Producer
Francis Orban is a grower producer that tends some 18 acres of south-facing vines in and around the villages of Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme. Soils are rich in sand and clay—different terroir than the chalky soils found around the Montagne de Reims or in the Côte de Blancs—a mix that suits Pinot Meunier vines well, and explains why the Marne Valley is the centerpoint of Meunier production. Some 90% of family vineyards are planted to Pinot Meunier, with the rest dedicated to Chardonnay. Vines are on average between 30 and 40 years old. Vineyards are cared for sustainably, and grapes harvested by hand. Grapes are pressed gently and fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Francis adds some 50% of reserve wines to his non-vintage Champagnes, for wines of impressive depth, character and length.
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