Millésime 2017 Blanc de Blancs
Bright and gourmet
BLEND
Millésime 2017 Blanc de Blancs, is 100% pure chardonnay, the white grape variety of the Champagne Appellation, and more than lives up to its name.
It reflects the remarkable character of the vintage, having more than proved its resistance and resilience faced with the many uncertainties experienced in the Champagne vineyards in 2017.
Chardonnay grapes are sourced from the prestigious premier and grand cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, and more generous Chardonnay from the Vallée de la Marne, not forgetting the crus from Sézannais and Vitryat. It is a fresh, exquisite wine.
Vinified in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks.
Aged at least 5 years in the cellars.
TASTING NOTE:
Appearance: attractive pale gold and extremely bright, in perfect harmony with the effervescence. A lively stream of exquisitely delicate bubbles in the glass.
Bouquet: exquisite primary pastry aromas of brioche and custard. As the wine begins to breathe, new, floral, spicy aromas come to the fore, reminiscent of magnolia and star of anise.
Palate: initially generous, fresh and thirst-quenching, underpinned by citrus notes of kumquat, accompagnied by wisps of hazelnut and even liquorice. Elegant on the finish, with stunning, delicately tangy length recalling Granny Smith apples and pink grapefruit.
PAIRINGS
Quite rightly considered an excellent choice as an aperitif, Millésime 2017 Blanc de Blancs also excels with shellfish, trout rillettes with dill, sea bream ceviche, carpaccio of veal or Mâconnais goat cheese made with raw milk.
As an aperitif : best served at 8-9°C.
With food: best served at 10-12°C.
Blanc de Blancs Champagne
3 main grape varieties are used in the composition of champagne: Chardonnay, a grape with white skin and white juice, Pinot Noir and Meunier, two grapes with black skin and white juice.
A Blanc de Blancs champagne is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes: it is the most sought-after grape variety in champagne because it brings finesse, elegance, freshness and liveliness to the wine.
On tasting, Chardonnay brings citrus fruit aromas. But, after a few years of evolution, it develops notes of candied fruit, toasted bread, brioche and pastries.
2017 in Champagne
To describe the weather conditions for the 2017 vintage as chaotic would be an understatement. The season began amid icy conditions with the vines covered in frost, recording 24 days of frost 10cm above the ground in January alone.
After a relatively mild start to spring, bone-chilling Polar air hit France mid-April, causing significant, frost across the greater part of its vineyards, in places to devastating effect, particularly in Aube, Aisne and Haute Marne.
By mid-May the situation in the region completely turned around, with heatwave conditions setting in for two months, and temperatures in places nudging 35°C in the shade! The weather took another dramatic turn in mid-July, with the arrival of rain and frequent storms, sometimes accompanied by hail, prompting the first signs of Botrytis. In August, the Champagne region faced subtropical conditions.
The harvest was early, and shrouded in wet weather, forcing growers to ruthlessly sort the grapes on the vine, and remain constantly on guard. The Chardonnays were less affected given their greater resistance to excess rainfall, and are a total stand-out.
