Winemaker Notes
Precise and delicate first nose with a lot of purity, some notes of linden flower, with hints of candied lemon. The energic and harmonious palate, combined with creamy bubbles. The texture is powdery and long, with notes of lemon zest. The beautiful intensity of the lees allowed by 6 years of aging in the cellar. Initial aromas of zesty meringue aromas are balanced and delicate, with a bit of raciness, a signature of the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs. This 2016 benefits from the place, Cramant brings its elegance and height, underlined by an intense crumbly chalk at the end.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Champagne Côte Grand Cru pours a youthful straw hue and opens to aromas of fresh flowers, yellow pear, and Meyer lemon. Focused and more linear in its profile, it has a refined and creamy mousse and a stony, chalky texture. It’s layered and complex on the palate, with fresh citrus and delicate notes of almond. It is going to benefit from another few years in the cellar.
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.’