Cuvée Grande Sendrée 2008

Vintage 2008, a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from a single vineyard in Urville with 70-year-old vines, has surprising splendor thanks to its freshness and outstanding luminosity balancing the ripeness of the grapes. The wine is made in stainless steel vats, where it ferments for almost two weeks and undergoes complete malolactic fermentation, with 32% of the vins claires maturing in oak barrels for around nine months before the blend is bottled for secondary fermentation. Riddling is done by hand and the Champagne is disgorged with a 5g/l dosage after sitting at least six years on the lees. This is a Champagne to enjoy now or keep in the cellar for future delight after age has allowed the intensity of the Pinot Noir to evolve into energy and precision and, above all, complexity. The bouquet has scents of acacia honey and raspberry that blend with those of beeswax and marzipan accompanied by a distinct citrus note of bergamot and tangerine preserves that brings out the fragrance of hot brioche. The mouthfeel is multifaceted, gratifying and bracing at the same time, with a delicate balance between the salinity and nuances of graphite. A truly successful performance that deserves all the compliments it receives.

About it