Vouette & Sorbée Extrait Brut Nature 2009

Gautherot has two other cuvées, although both are in virtually anecdotal quantities—a mere 200 bottles of each. The first is a vintage-dated pinot noir called Extrait, which was first made in the 2002 vintage and intended to be aged on its lees for ten years. Upon tasting the wines in the cellar, however, Gautherot decided that the 2003 was more forward, and so this vintage was the inaugural release, appearing in 2012. Originally, this cuvée was intended to be reserved for friends and family, but beginning with the 2005, Gautherot has made small quantities available for sale.

The second wine is called Sobre, and it is intended to be a champagne made exclusively from grapes, with nothing added whatsoever, not even yeasts or sugars—the fermentation in bottle is achieved with the natural sugars of the must, although whether this is truly a méthode ancestrale or made by adding fresh must as a liqueur de tirage, Gautherot refuses to say. It is made entirely of chardonnay, and the first release was from the 2005 vintage, although it is not vintage-dated.