De Sousa : Cuvée des Caudalies Blanc de Blancs Grand cru Extra Brut

The NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Caudalies Extra Brut is the most seamless of these wines from De Sousa, with exceptional balance and a sense of place. Entirely Chardonnay, with 50% reserve wine, the name comes from a technical word to describe aftertaste. One Caudalies is equivalent to one second and is a term that sommeliers use to describe the length of a wine. For this cuvée, a very pure, distilled feel of crisp green apple and vibrant fresh flowers is followed by a medium-bodied wine with balanced intensity and concentration as well as ripe fruit, and although it has power, it’s not austere. It closes with a savory saline and mineral texture that lasts long on the back palate, with a fresh and pillowy mousse, and it’s clean on the finish. Drink 2024-2040. 3 grams per liter dosage. Disgorged May 2022.

A blend of chardonnay from five villages in the Côte des Blancs, crafted as a perpetual reserve cuvée initiated in 1995. The patina of barrel fermentation highlights the power drawn from the grapes’ high ripeness. Incredibly vinous, it will shine at the table, with a subtle herbal note contributed by the share of the 2011 vintage in the blend. As it ages, it will take on Andalusian nuances.