Domaine Bruno Dangin – beyond Cremant

Bubbles, bubbles – Sekt, Spumante, Cremant and Champagne.

Let me begin by saying the sparkling wines from Bruno Dangin have caused me some trouble – some hours and even days of pondering. Winehogs are not built to think!

The Cremants from Bruno Dangin are clearly top end, and this is where the pondering starts.

Are they top-end Cremant, or are they top-end Champagne-style wines? And is it OK to call them “Champagne-style,” and not the correct term Cremant de Bourgogne?

I can’t say that I reached a conclusion, other than thinking the quality of the best Bruno Dangin wines is so good that they can match many Champagnes from that region’s vineyards.

The challenge is to interpret and understand the wines accurately, to do them full justice and passion, because these are delightful bottles – some more than others, of course.

My take in this article is therefore a bit different: trying to understand.

Way up north … Where?

Domaine Bruno Dangin makes its stylish Crémants, which consistently deliver at an impressively high level, in the municipality of Molesme in the far north of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. The domaine is located only 3 kilometres south of the Aube, and is thus close to the southern border of the Champagne region. Yes, Champagne reaches that far south and Burgundy that far north.

Geologically, the terroir is a direct extension of Champagne’s southernmost appellation, the Côte des Bar.

This is a family estate, led by Bruno Dangin and his son Matthieu. The philosophy here is organic (the French term is Agriculture Biologique), and Domaine Bruno Dangin has been AB-certified by Ecocert since 2014.

In the cellar, the work is done with very low additions of sulphur, long elevage, and dosage kept to an absolute minimum. Matthieu Dangin is also experimenting with no-sulphur cuvées.

The house style is quite forward, acid-driven and dry, yet simultaneously with the fullness and creaminess that belong to a classic Crémant.

But let me approach them in the way that I normally do – see them and taste them!

The tasting

In a random order…

The Cuvee Blanche (100% Pinot Noir) is to my palate a natural wine, with a dark mousse, not extremely powerful, and a slightly reluctant attack. That said, the attack is fresh and acidic, with fine energy. The wine is dry – though not bone dry – on the mid-palate, and has a refined, modern feel.

Very Good (88-89p) – 😊

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Cuvee Rose 2016 is also 100% Pinot Noir, and is perhaps the wine that I found the most difficult to comprehend. It appears sweeter, with medium weight, showing strawberries and citrus-driven flavours. This is more fruit driven and generous. There is a surprising hint of barn, and the lively mousse subsides to a more pleasant level after some time. I am, however, still somewhat confused!

Good (86-87p)

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Cuvee Prestige de Narcis 2016 is another Pinot Noir wine – and it is showing very well, battling for my top spot with the more traditional Le Grand Classique. The Pinot Noir is unfurling openly, but lacks the rich charm of some of the Chardonnay cuvées; this is where the Winehog’s conservatism and limited knowledge are being tested. It is without doubt a lovely wine.

Very Good (88-89p) – 😄

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Le Grand Classique is more my home turf: 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with a lively, quite expressive nose. It is surprisingly dry, and very charming, although perhaps lacking a bit of mid-palate acidity. The energy is showing very well, even compared to the real deal from the region near Reims. The nose is lively, and there’s a fine balance between bouquet and palate sweetness-wise. A personal favourite that set my benchmark for these wines.

Very Good+ (89-90p) –

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Les Territoines is an intriguing wine: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, and in a dryish, slightly new-age style. There is quite strict fruit, with fine energy and lovely oomph on the mid-palate. As said, a somewhat modern styling, but I would hesitate to call it natural. It is almost steely and quite linear, with green apples that need time to unfold and develop secondary aromas. Truly fine potential in this cuvée.

Fine (90-91p)

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Prestige de Constance 2018 is showing beautifully. It is 100% Pinot Noir, and has a delightful mouthfeel. It’s precise – vinified without sulphur – quite generous and with some weight. This will presumably need more time than some of the others, and it is most certainly showing fine promise.

Very Good (89-90p) – 😄😄

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Ranking the range…or not!

In my view, this is a tough tasting to rank, as there is a fair amount of personal taste involved. The points are as objective as can be, while the smiles and hearts are my pleasure barometer.

I do recommend the Bruno Dangin wines – they gave me pleasure!