With holdings of old vines in some of the greatest terroirs in the Côte des Blancs, Pascal Doquet has emerged over the last decade as one of the premier vignerons in Champagne. After he took over his family estate, Doquet-Jeanmaire, in 1995 when his father retired, Pascal established his eponymous Domaine in 2004. Today he farms just under 9 hectares of vines including prime parcels in Vertus, Le Mont Aimé and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger—including his illustrious old vines in the parcel “Champ d’Aoulettes.” Natural farming and dedication to vineyard health is the driving force for Pascal; in fact, he rarely discusses fermentation—his passion is in the vineyards. The Domaine has been certified Organic since 2010.

The Mont Aimé lieu-dit is east of Vertus and faces due south. Even so, it is a cooler microclimate than Pascal’s parcels in Le Mesnil and Vertus and ripening here can happen a week later. Previous vintages were fermented in tank to support the racy, linear style of the wine, but as things evolve, Pascal now ferments roughly half in neutral barrel and half in enamel lined stainless steel tanks, which brings out a cool blueberry and smoky characteristic common to flinty, silex soils.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Varietals: 100% Chardonnay

Appellation:Mont Aimé vineyard in Côte des Blancs