2020 Adrien Dhondt Champagne Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chétillon de Haut

“From an east-facing site higher up the slope, Adrien Dhondt’s flamboyant 2020 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chétillon de Haut is another success. “The terroir is similar to Les Coullemets, with very thin topsoil, but Chétillon de Haut is affected by le court-noué virus,” Adrien explains, which results in a wine with slightly higher flavor concentration and richness. Matured in barrels (around one-third new) and disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter, it soars from the glass with a bouquet of dried white flowers, sweet citrus fruit and smoke. Layered and deep, underpinned by tangy acidity and concluding with a perfumed, precise finish, it’s the most immediately expressive of the three wines this year.”