Vintage Character Laurent Lequart Coteaux Champenois Rouge 2022 is a still red wine from the Coteaux Champenois appellation in Champagne, a rare category that revives the region’s historic tradition of non-sparkling wines. The 2022 vintage was broadly warm and sunny across Champagne, helping Meunier reach fuller ripeness and giving this bottling an especially charming, expressive profile. From Passy-Grigny in the Vallée de la Marne, the wine draws character from the area’s clay-limestone soils, a terroir particularly well suited to Meunier and one that brings both supple fruit and a fine chalky lift to the finished wine.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing In the glass, it offers vivid aromas of red cherry, wild raspberry and redcurrant, layered with peony, subtle spice and a faint earthy note. The palate is light- to medium-bodied, silky and energetic, with gentle tannins, fresh acidity and a graceful texture that keeps the fruit precise rather than weighty. A touch of discreet oak seasoning adds polish without masking the grape’s floral brightness. Serve it with roast chicken, duck breast with cherries, or grilled salmon for a distinctive and versatile pairing.
Winery Background Champagne Laurent Lequart is a fourth-generation family estate based in Passy-Grigny, where the family has built its reputation around the character of Meunier rather than treating it as a supporting variety. The domaine is HVE-certified and works with a sustainable, terroir-focused mindset to preserve vineyard health and site expression. That same philosophy informs the cellar: careful fruit selection, gentle extraction and measured oak use are employed to shape a still red that remains true to Champagne’s natural finesse. In a region dominated by sparkling wine, this is a distinctive, small-production expression of Meunier that feels both authentic and uncommon.