For nearly 300 years, the Vesselle family has been farming the chalky soils of Bouzy and cultivating some of the village’s best-placed pinot noir vines. This cuvee is a blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay – sourced exclusively from the family’s parcels in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy, just west of Ambonnay.  Planted to 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay, these vineyards bask in the warm southeastern exposure on the chalky slopes of the Montagne de Reims, providing grapes of exceptional power, and unending freshness. The hand-harvested fruit is fermented with indigenous yeast in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks prior to aging for a whopping 10 years on the lees. After disgorgement in March, an Extra Brut level dosage of 4 g/l was added, and the bottles were corked and rested for a few months before heading out to Last Bubbles headquarters.

This complex and nuanced bottling is only made when the base wine shows extraordinary potential – suited to long aging, and development over the extended maturation…as I finish my second glass whilst writing this, I can say with certainty that the wine delivers – spectacularly. Aromas of honeyed and spiced orchard fruits, with flavors of red cherries and plums, lemon curd, and nuanced and slightly oxidative characteristics that reveal dates, pear tarts, and salted toffee, uplifted by bright, fresh flavors of cantaloupe, chipped stones, and an enticing sea spray finish. Harmoniously balanced, and appropriately weighty, this is a dense, vinous Champagne worthy of a quiet, contemplative evening by a crackling fire. Grab a couple – you’ll be so glad you did!