Many of you might remember Déthune’s jaw-dropping “Les Crayères” Blanc de Noirs we featured back in May. That was their first single parcel, 100% pinot noir vintage cuvee – from one of the top vineyards in all of Champagne, no less. That was an international hit, and the demand for that rare bottling has greatly exceeded the Déthune production capability for that iconic plot. So they scoured all of their other holdings, in search of a similar parcel that was worthy to stand alone as a separate bottling. Enter Le Haut des Bermonts – a locally revered Ambonnay lieu-dit of pinot noir planted back in 1952. The vineyard sits just outside the southwest corner of Ambonnay, on the road to Bouzy, and has been the basis for high-end, single-parcel bottlings from revered Ambonnay houses like Marguet and de Sousa. This is classically vinous pinot noir Champagne – with that inherent “pinosity” that defines the best of Ambonnay.

The Déthunes know Ambonnay better than most – being the second oldest Champagne family in the region, with an unbroken history of growing grapes in the region going back to 1610! (The same year Galileo discovered and named the four largest moons of Jupiter.) Like each of his forebears, Pierre Déthune has created his own style of Champagne – rooted in family tradition yet ever-evolving – the one constant being the grassy lands of Ambonnay. History, pedigree, location…the world is, at long last, recognizing that Paul Déthune is one of the top grower-producers in all of Champagne. Just under 170 cases were made of this incredibly rare bottling, and we pounced on every last bottle brought into the USA!

The Le Haut des Bermonts 2017 pinot noir is fermented and aged exclusively in 205 liter Champagne barrels for a full 8 months prior to bottling. From there, a prolonged aging on the lees for a full 61 months allowed the wine to develop its unrivaled complexity, before disgorgement and an Extra Brut level dosage of 5 grams per liter. The 2017 harvest in Ambonnay was challenging for most – with a combination of late-season heat and moisture causing botrytis issues across much of the grapes. As such, the small harvest of these ancient vines became smaller still, with extreme care of cluster-by-cluster selection required to ensure that only the best pinot noir was harvested. Pressing was implemented with two hours of picking to ensure there was no rot in the baskets, and all the love and care put into this tiny bottling was clearly evident.

Powerfully rich, with an impressive minerality, and an elegant, finely knit structure, this Champagne is exceptional – one of the finest Déthune Champagnes I’ve ever tasted…and that’s saying something! Enticing aromas of cherries, and raspberries, with hints of orange zest and sweet exotic herbs like pineapple sage. The crumbled chalk soils manifest into this incredibly pure river rock minerality, with an opulent finish that showcases biscuits and toasted brioche.  Like the Les Crayères bottling, definitely opt for the wide-mouthed Burgundy bowls on this one, friends. The stable and ample mousse holds up still, with tiny bubbles exploding on the tongue – and spiraling beautifully into a complex and powerful finish that goes on forever. We snagged all 20 cases that came here to the USA – and you’d be savvy to make at least one of these fantastic bottles yours!