Winemaker Notes
Made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in Aÿ, exclusively in the 'Meurtet' plot which is owned by Champagne Deutz.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
One of a pair of single-parcel Champagnes from Aÿ, this wine is mature, showing its Pinot Noir in a rich, lightly toasty light. Textured and with layers of ripe fruits, the wine is well textured and now ready to drink.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deutz's 2015 Brut Blanc de Noir Parcelle d'Aÿ Meurtet William Deutz has turned out very well, bursting with aromas of ripe orchard fruit, fresh bread, mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and enveloping, it's an elegant, even sensual Champagne with bright acids and beautifully defined flavors, complemented by a pillowy mousse. This is the finest Meurtet released to date.
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James Suckling
Powerful and structured with a striking nose of Amalfi lemon and tart apricot. But slightly austere, the finish long and firm. This gives so much, but it is anything but a fruit bomb. From a 2.5 hectare south-southeast facing gently sloping hillside with 30- to 35-year-old vines.
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Wine Spectator
A round and harmonious Champagne, with vibrant acidity and a lightly chalky texture spring-boarding a finely-meshed range of poached apricot, crème de cassis, lemon curd and toast point flavors. Delicate smoke and spice notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.’