Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Harvested in October, the 2013 Amour de Deutz—has evolved beautifully with additional post-disgorgement maturation. Based heavily on the Côte des Blancs fruit, it offers a profound bouquet of candied lemon, peach, pear, roasted pineapple and gooseberry layered with roasted cacao bean and smoky accents that underscore its subtly reductive signature. These olfactory impressions transition seamlessly onto the medium- to full-bodied palate, which is unusually generous in context of the vintage: fleshy, multidimensional and with a sweet fruit core enlivened with pinpoint mousse. This Blanc de Blancs culminates in a lingering, toasty finish, rendering it irresistibly approachable even at this early stage.
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Wine Spectator
A rich Champagne, with a lush, almost viscous creaminess, reined in nicely by vivid, mouthwatering acidity -- a finely knit frame for flavors of white peach puree, passion fruit, toasted brioche and accents of elderflower, fleur de sel and candied grapefruit peel. Long, lasting finish.
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James Suckling
Elegant and refreshing nose, with a chalky layer to the lemony citrus and fine, creamy pastry aromas. Fresh delivery of creamy mousse, followed by a nice grip of fruit and autolysis. Long and subtle, with a bright, almost zesty finish. Drink now or hold.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’