Description
Champagne De Sousa, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs “Avec Le Temps”
There are times, such as after drinking Champagne De Sousa’s “Avec Le Temps,” when I become possessed of a pretty controversial belief: producing gorgeously plush, liquid-squeezed-from-stone Blanc de Blancs is Chardonnay’s highest calling. Sure, there are hundreds of other Chardonnay-based wines I love dearly, but this one bottle just seems to have it all.
Grand Cru status? Check. Biodynamic farming? Check. Insane value? Absolutely. This isn’t a pre-dinner aperitif but a deeply vinous, genuinely profound Chardonnay that just so happens to have some ultra-fine bubbles in it. It’s Champagne that rises above mere celebration status, a bottle I’d happily serve in large bowls (and never in flutes) alongside an expertly prepared gourmet meal. I’m not the only one; you’ll find today’s offer and other Da Sousa cuvées gracing the wine lists at many of Europe’s top haute cuisine destinations. Consider the price tag, and “Avec Le Temps” starts looking like one of the smartest buys in fine wine today!
Manuel De Sousa was a Portuguese soldier who fought in World War I and later returned to France to establish his eponymous estate in the mid-1930s. In 1986, his grandson Erick took over and immediately set his sights on cleaner farming…thus began the estate’s rise to the top of the Champagne pyramid. The sad reality of Champagne is that, despite the global attention it receives, farming practices are still rarely discussed. As the region now approaches 20,000 growers, De Sousa is one of only ~100 that is Certified Organic. And they were one of the first, converting in 1989. They introduced biodynamics 10 years later, and to this day, the family plows their 11 hectares by horse.
Even in the legendary Grand Cru terroir of the Côte des Blancs, De Sousa’s treasure trove of vines stand out. In Champagne, the relative youth of the vineyards often goes unmentioned. It’s a region where there’s such a strong financial incentive to produce as much fruit as possible that growers regularly tear up fully mature but poorer-yielding vineyards to be replaced by more productive young vines. Not the De Sousas. They oversee a collection of 45-to-75-year-old vines centered around Avize, buttressed by holdings in Oger, Cramant, and Chouilly, all of it ranked Grand Cru. That combination of old vines, fastidious low-yield farming, and the signature chalky limestone soils of the Côte des Blancs fashions Champagnes of incredible breed and richness married to incisive cut.
“Avec Les Temps” is sourced entirely from the Grand Cru villages of Avize and Oger, with vines approaching 40 years old. The base wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel before being blended with 40% reserves. It ages en tirage for a minimum of two years and is supplied with a five-gram dosage upon disgorgement. It’s a veritable masterclass in Blanc de Blancs elegance and breed.
Pulverized chalk, green apple, ripe quince, pineapple skin, pear skin, lemon zest, white flowers, brioche, almond paste, and crème fraîche all combine on the nose. The palate is luxurious, melding a broad, creamy texture to a throughline of pure stony density, a zip of cleansing acidity wicking it away on the finish. The overall sense here is one of polish, class, and crystalline transparency, marking it out as one of the best values in Blanc des Blâncs we’ve seen in quite some time. This is what grower Champagne is all about—truly small-scale growers bringing a genuine artisan’s touch to some of the most revered Chardonnay terroir on Earth. Load up!
