Who makes it
P.181 is a named Extra Brut cuvée from Champagne Canard Duchêne. Victor Canard and Léonie Duchêne founded the house in 1868. In 2009, it became the first Grande Maison to produce an organic Champagne.
Where it grows
Ludes sits in the Montagne de Reims. Its vineyards have a higher proportion of Pinot Meunier than its immediate neighbours. Pinot Meunier generally contributes fruit and a softer mid palate to Champagne blends, so the local plantings carry a different grape balance from the vineyards beside them.
What they make
The named range includes P.181 Extra Brut, Cuvée V Brut Nature from 2012, and Charles VII Blanc de Blancs. Extra Brut is a dry dosage category, Brut Nature has no dosage added after disgorgement, and Blanc de Blancs identifies a Champagne made from white grapes. P.181 opens with yellow and white fruits, including lychee, then moves to a subtle smoky note and a touch of green almond.
Open with P.181 Extra Brut. It is the named Extra Brut bottle with an additional cellaring window of 2 to 3 years, provided it stays away from light in a stable environment between 10°C and 15°C.