SALIMA ET ALAIN CORDEUIL
Côte des Bar, Champagne
 

Salima and Alain’s journey into Champagne began far from the vineyard rows. They met while studying in Montpellier—Alain immersed in psychology, Salima in French literature—before an unexpected opportunity to reclaim Alain’s family vines shifted their course entirely. Drawn back to Noé-les-Mallets, in the southern stretch of the Côte des Bar, they set about restoring roughly four hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Noé-les-Mallets

Tucked into a secluded corner of the region, Noé-les-Mallets lies among finger-like ridges that climb to the highest vineyard sites in Champagne, only a few villages from Charles Dufour. The soils here are dominated by Portlandian limestone—dense, chalk-rich and reminiscent of Chablis—making altitude and geology central to the identity of the estate, most clearly expressed in the single-parcel cuvées Altitude 320m and 350m.

Shaped by their academic backgrounds, Salima and Alain approach viticulture with sensitivity rather than force, treating the vineyard as a living garden. The vines were converted to organic farming from the outset, with cover crops, horse ploughing, late pruning, and naturally modest yields of around 40 hl/ha. Their first vintage came in 2011, but it was the arrival of their two children that cemented a guiding principle: patience. Every wine is vintage-only, aged for at least five years on lees, finished without dosage, and since 2015 bottled with a prise de mousse started from fermenting wine rather than MCR. Salima describes the wines as airy, salty, and patient—Champagnes that reveal themselves slowly, like long, thoughtful novels.

2019 Origines

From the crus of Ville-sur-Arce and Fontette, drawn from the Val Prouse and Hauts de Morival parcels, this Champagne comes from 65-year-old vines of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir. Direct pressed and aged in barrel before nearly five years on lees, it is finished with zero dosage. Pale yellow with a fine, persistent mousse, it shows smoky limestone, citrus, stone fruit, anise, almond, hazelnut, quince, and gentle spice. The palate is generous yet fresh, creamy, saline, structured, and precise.

2019 Altitude 350m

From a 25-year-old, south-facing Chardonnay parcel at 350 metres overlooking Noé-les-Mallets, this single-vineyard Champagne grows on limestone soils at one of the Aube’s highest elevations. Brut Nature, direct pressed and aged in barrel before nearly five years on lees. The nose shows green apple, lemon zest, white flowers, and chalky freshness. The palate is taut and precise, driven by bright acidity and a fine bead. Bone-dry and saline, it finishes long, energetic, and strikingly clear.

2019 Altitude 320m

From a 35-year-old, south-facing Pinot Noir parcel at 320 metres overlooking Noé-les-Mallets, this single-vineyard Champagne grows on marly limestone soils. Brut Nature, directly pressed and aged in barrel before nearly five years on lees. It opens with red apple and cherry, layered with grapefruit and a sweeter touch of honeysuckle, acacia flower, almond, and pear. The palate is precise and fresh, with creamy, integrated effervescence and a ripe, crunchy fruit core. Marno-calcareous minerality shapes the mid-palate, bringing grip, clarity, and length. Rich yet focused, the finish is tense, pure, and distinctly rocky.

2014 Les Charmottes

A blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay from the estate’s oldest vines in the Les Charmottes parcel. After direct pressing and fermentation, the base wines are aged in barrel before spending five full years maturing on lees in bottle. Disgorged without dosage, the wine is precise, fresh, and tightly structured. Aromas of apple and grapefruit lead into citrus zest, almond, and wildflowers. Intense yet finely balanced, it shows remarkable energy and youthful clarity despite extended ageing.