The colour is medium straw with an elegant, fine mousse. On the nose, baked apple, pear and citrus are accompanied by notes of yeast, brioche and hazelnut, giving a pleasant maturity to the aromatic profile. On the palate, the mousse is soft and creamy, with good freshness, making it a well-balanced and lively Champagne. The finish is clean and pleasant, but neither particularly savoury nor long.
This is a Champagne that offers straightforward pleasure rather than intellectual complexity. It is polished, balanced and easy to enjoy, with enough bottle age to make it more interesting than a young non-vintage Champagne. There is an interesting combination of maturity and freshness: it is no longer simply a young, fruit-driven Champagne, but neither has it developed the pronounced oxidative or tertiary character of a much older vintage.
It is a vintage Champagne, produced from the 2017 harvest. Rather than using the typical Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grapes, the assemblage consists of Chardonnay alongside the heritage varieties Pinot Blanc and Arbane. Chardonnay contributes freshness and finesse, while Pinot Blanc and Arbane lend distinctive character and depth.
Charles Bertin is a Champagne brand with a long-standing presence at Coop Switzerland, where it has been sold for many years. Charles Bertin is different from grower Champagnes. Rather than presenting a highly individual grower philosophy or a strongly identified estate, the brand offers an accessible, supermarket-oriented expression of Champagne. Its strength lies in delivering a polished and reliable style at a relatively accessible price, rather than in offering a particularly distinctive, terroir-driven interpretation.
While the consumer-facing packaging rarely highlights the producer, careful reading of the back label reveals that this particular wine was elaborated by Champagne Gruet, an established family estate based in Buxeuil, in the Côte des Bar region of Aube, France. Other editions bottled and sold under the Charles Bertin brand use Champagne produced by other houses.
I bought this bottle last year on sale. More recent vintages of this wine sell at Coop for 38.95 CHF.
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Arbane
Type: Sparkling
Vintage: 2017
Producer: Champagne Gruet
Price range: Premium (30-50 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5