Cellar Favorite: 2020 Champagne Nakada-Park Brut Nature Vignes de Gyé-Sur-Seine

BY NEAL MARTIN | JANUARY 12, 2026

When I visited Japanese-born, Gevrey-based winemaker Koji Nakada to taste his Burgundy portfolio, he mentioned that he also makes limited amounts of Champagne and presented me with his current releases. Clearly, Nakada’s talents extend beyond the Côte d’Or. The 2020 Brut Nature Vignes de Gyé-Sur-Seine comes from the titular slope on sandy/limestone soil in the Côte des Bars. It was vinified and raised in oak barrels, with a total of 1,700 bottles disgorged in November 2024 and zero dosage. The 2020 comes from the year when, together with “better half” Jae Hwa, the couple acquired their first parcel of vines, which makes the quality of this debut all the more impressive. Exceptionally nuanced on the nose, the 2020 is beautifully defined, subtle at first, then flourishing with scents of lemon mixed with understated crustacea aromas, faint touches of blackcurrant leaf in the background. The palate continues in a similar vein, very nuanced, extremely precise to the point where you could almost describe it as “dainty,” and yet this cuvée has real complexity and tension. Brut Nature is not my favourite style of Champagne, but this is an outstanding example with brightness and harmony throughout. Nearly Zen-like. 94/Drink 2026-2037

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