It is 100% Grand Cru with the fruit sourced from only great sites across four villages in the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry. Together with the terroir, vine age is a key factor in the quality on offer (an average age of over 40 years). This release is a blend of 2017 and 2016, with the reserve wine making up a significant 60% of the cuvée. After a natural fermentation, half the wine matured in large-format, neutral oak and then spent 46 months on lees. Dosage was limited to five grams per litre and disgorgement was carried out by hand in March 2022. These winemaking standards, combined with organic viticulture, reach benchmarks that are far higher than any Grande Marque prestige cuvée we know of. This is a more tightly wound Terroirs, with vibrant citrus pith and crunchy nectarine as well as plenty of rock-salty goodness on the lingering close. It will certainly benefit from another year under cork, but is still wonderful now. Rob Walters
