The house of Castelnau was founded in 1916 and takes its name from General Édouard de Curières de Castelnau. Its emblem, with thistles and a coat of arms, carries the motto "qui s'y frotte s'y pique" (touch it and you get pricked). It is based in Reims. Today the brand belongs to a cooperative: the Coopérative Régionale des Vins de Champagne (CRVC), founded in 1962, took over Castelnau in 2003, and Castelnau has been its prestige brand ever since.
The grapes come from a collective of growers, who farm around 800 hectares across roughly 150 crus. The house puts its faith in long ageing on the lees. The Brut NV, formerly called Brut Réserve, is the house's calling card and spends at least five years in the cellar. Chardonnay makes up the largest share of the blend. One importer describes the result as tart apple, brioche and a hint of flint on the nose, with a fine mousse. For a long time the style was shaped by cellar master Élisabeth Sarcelet. Her successor is Carine Bailleul.
Alongside the Brut there is an Extra Brut, a rosé, vintage champagne and a Blanc de Blancs. A rarity is the Cuvée Hors Catégorie from the 1993 harvest, of which only 600 bottles exist. The Solera 9.2 comes from a perpetual reserve begun in 2009. For enthusiasts, Castelnau is worth seeking out above all for the balance between ageing time and price. According to the Guide Hachette, the Brut NV costs around 15 to 23 euros.
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