The Lignum cuvée is the estate’s signature oaked wine: aged for five to six months in oak barrels and disgorged without dosage, it offers an enveloping texture and a briny finish characteristic of Vertus Chardonnays. Pair it with pan-fried scallops in brown butter, a lobster risotto or a 24-month-matured Comté. The Les Grillettes single-vineyard cuvée, awarded three stars in the 2016 Guide Hachette, is aged exclusively in stainless steel: crystal-clear liveliness, mineral tension, a chalky finish — it comes into its own with fine de claire oysters, sea bass tartare or scallop carpaccio. The ‘Bonjour Tout Le Monde’ cuvée is the estate’s champagne for sharing: lively, direct, ideal as an aperitif with smoked salmon canapés or cheese gougères.
Serve these champagnes at between 8 and 10 °C in a tulip or white wine glass, which releases the aromas better than a traditional flute. La Lignum and Les Grillettes have significant ageing potential — three to six years after disgorgement, in a cool cellar away from light. Bonjour Tout Le Monde is best enjoyed within two to three years to preserve its freshness.
The entire Michel Rutat range is available on Pépites en Champagne — with protective packaging, careful delivery and express shipping to France and Europe.