Clotilde Davenne Extra Brut Cremant de Bourgogne

Independent vigneron Clotilde Davenne built her 8.5-hectare domaine in the Yonne, parcel by parcel over the last nine years, initially while simultaneously working as the chef oenologue for the prestigious Chablis house of Jean-Marc Brocard. Her dream had always been to have her "hands on" all aspects of the production and as a grower she is now fully integrated into the life of each of her wines, from bud break to bottle. The results are soulful, expressively vibrant wines that uniquely speak of the particularity of their origin. Many come from extremely old and deep-rooted, low-yielding vines, and viticulture is practiced with great respect for the environment and no filtration is used prior to bottling.

"Clotilde Davenne is a full-time winemaker at a well-known Chablis estate, but she moonlights on her small, 8.5 hectare Crémant de Bourgogne project in the Yonne. Many of her vines are quite old, and it shows in the intensity of flavor in her wines. Her non-vintage Extra Brut is really very fine, offering up a very Champagne-like nose of green apple, pink grapefruit, a beautifully complex base of limestone, warm bread and a touch of lime peel in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and bouncy, with a fine core of fruit, impressive complexity, frothy mousse (which is decidedly more elegant than some Grower Champagnes I sampled for this report!) and a long, crisp and soil-driven finish. I would be very surprised if a wine this well-balanced did not age extremely well. This is truly outstanding sparkling wine and an absolute steal! 2012-2020." - 91 Pts John Gilman - View from the Cellar Taste: apple, pear, peach, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, kiwi, butter, cream, vanilla, ripe cherry, plum, strawberry, raspberry, and mushroom Nose: apple, pear, peach, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, kiwi, butter, cream, vanilla, barnyard, cherry, plum, game, and tomato