This bottling no longer bears the Grand Cru designation. The source grapes for this bottling remain 85% Grand Cru & Premier Cru from the seven villages of Avize, Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Avenay Val d’Or, Bergeres Les Vertus and Mardeuil, thus the name 7 Crus.
This non-vintage cuvée is produced from wines of two consecutive years and the older of the two is aged in oak barrels for one year before bottling. The wine is then aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 3 years. The dosage after disgorging is 6g/liter. Disgorged 60 days prior to shipping.
Made of 90 percent chardonnay and 10 percent pinot noir, this is ripe and generous, though its rich depth of fruit is also tethered by fresh, zesty acidity. It’s notably fine in texture and sophisticated in tone, and it’s strongly marked by a stony, saline minerality that increases in intensity on the finish. It’s an excellent non-vintage champagne, and should become even more satisfying as it settles down with more post-disgorgement age. Last tasted: 4/19 – Peter Liem