Grauves 2023 – Premier Cru Extra Brut

The wine's story:

Grauves 2023 is Domaine Vincey's Chardonnay from the Premier Cru vineyards of Grauves, on the far side of the Côte des Blancs slope. The cuvée is made from several plots where a thick layer of brown clay covers the chalk bedrock. The vines average 40 years, and the vineyards face north and north-west as well as south. It is a single-vintage Chardonnay from 2023, and 5,918 bottles were made.

Domaine Vincey is the estate of Quentin Vincey and Marine Zabarino in Oger. Quentin is the eighth generation of growers there; until 2014 the family sold its grapes to the cooperative, then began bottling its own wine.

Winemaking:

100% Chardonnay. The grapes are pressed in a traditional wooden Coquard press and the juice moves on by gravity. Fermentation starts with indigenous yeasts in 228–300-litre French oak barrels, 15% of them new; the oak for the barrels comes from within 200 km. Malolactic fermentation happens naturally and the wine matures in barrel for 12 months on its lees. It is neither fined nor filtered. Tirage took place in September 2024, the bottles were riddled by hand and disgorged in January 2026; the dosage is 1 g/l.

Tasting notes:

A dry, straight Blanc de Blancs. The French wine merchant Marée Haute describes citrus zest, white flowers, a touch of pear and a mineral nuance recalling chalk on the nose. On the palate the wine is fresh, with lively acidity, a fuller texture and a dry finish.

Food pairing:

Oysters with lemon and shallot vinegar – the wine's freshness suits the briny taste of the oysters. White fish crudo with citrus oil; prawns pan-fried in butter; young goat's cheese.