Description
Paul Déthune, Grand Cru “Les Crayères” Blanc de Noirs
The moment avid Champagne collectors hear “Les Crayères,” one shared thought comes to mind: that it’s a momentous Grand Cru vineyard canonized in the registers by Egly-Ouriet’s $250+ bottling. But here’s my promise to you: After tasting Champagne Paul Déthune’s devilishly rare micro-cuvée, Egly-Ouriet won’t be the only name that comes to mind, and it may not even be the first. Tonight’s 2015 Grand Cru is a transcendent, deeply vinous, gold-standard-shattering experience, and still, those words don’t do it proper justice.
For you see, the Déthunes also own a coveted parcel in “Les Crayères”—just 1.5 hectares—that is treated with fastidious, organic care. Historically, the precious crop was blended into Déthune’s classic Blanc de Noirs, but because they’ve discovered it to be so distinct and exceptional, they started bottling it as a separate prestige cuvée. This rarefied 2015 is the second-ever release, and just 167 cases (seven barrels of wine) were produced for the entire world. A tiny fraction made it here and we’re currently the only ones with access, so best of luck finding it elsewhere once our allocation disappears. We can part with up to six bottles per person, and each one is guaranteed to provide some of the most contemplative, enjoyable, and stupendously complex flavors imaginable over the next decade. If you’re wondering why I frequently gravitate to Déthune’s best-in-class Grand Cru Champagnes, here’s the reason.
[NOTE: If this is your first time seeing our Friday night series, welcome! My name is Mark Osburn, writer and sommelier at SommSelect, and you’re likely familiar with the many Champagnes I’ve waxed rhapsodic about over the years. My goal is simple: to offer you rare Champagne exclusives and/or highly allocated sparkling gems that have to be pried out of an iron grip. These special offers don’t happen every week, but they’re always on Friday nights—stay vigilant!]
Champagne Paul Déthune is a récoltant-manipulant (indicated by the tiny initials “RM” on the label), or grower-producer, which means they farm their own vines and craft/sell their own wines. While major Champagne houses, or négociant-manipulants, typically make wines by purchasing grapes from myriad farmers, a “grower-producer” controls every aspect of farming and winemaking.
The Déthunes have been farming and crafting Champagne in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay since 1889, but their winemaking lineage can be traced as far back as 1610. Today, Pierre Déthune and his wife, Sophie, tend to seven—that’s it—organically farmed acres throughout Ambonnay. It is here that Pinot Noir reveals its most intense expression, delivering signature minerality, concentration, and terroir that translates to perfectly balanced Grand Cru Champagnes. The Déthunes are adamant about respecting nature, too: organic fertilizers are used; cover crops are planted; solar panels have been installed; and a rainwater collection system has been implemented, making them one of Champagne’s champions of sustainability.
The Déthunes’ life commitment to intricate work—from natural farming of Grand Cru vines in Ambonnay to a methodically traditional approach in the winery—is on full display in each bottle of their handcrafted wine. But what makes today’s grand debut such a thrilling affair and instant classic is its location! A tiny portion of Déthune’s Pinot Noir comes from old vines in “Les Crayères,” easily one of Champagne’s most hallowed vineyard sites, and for the second time ever in 2015, they bottled it separately.
The hand-farmed grapes for this special cuvée, busting at the seams with ripeness from a warm and dry 2015 growing season, saw a seven-month-long vinification in 205-liter French oak barriques. The wine was bottled in the Spring of 2016 without filtration and sent to age in Déthune’s hand-carved, 17th-century chalk cellar for five years before disgorgement and a five-gram dosage.
Pinot Noir reveals its most intense expression from Grand Cru Ambonnay, but when it comes specifically from “Les Crayères” and is bottled by superstar Paul Déthune, an entirely different breed emerges. Were you able to taste their inaugural 2014 release? Great as it was, this 2015 is a vastly different champagne: It’s ripe and voluptuous with satiny layers and brilliant freshness throughout. Served in flared tulips or all-purpose stems, the nose delivers apricot, red plum, black cherry, red and yellow apple, peach, crushed almonds, toasted brioche, chalk, nougat, citrus curd, and subtle oak spices. It’s a ridiculously enjoyable wine that reveals waves of nuanced complexities on the mid-palate, further propelling the depth and breadth of each layer. I was crestfallen when my last ounce disappeared, so savor this rarity as slow as possible alongside a select few appreciators of Grand Cru Champagne.
