NV (v22) Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Cramant Grand Cru (Pre-arrival)

Jeb Dunnuck 96 – “Pouring a bright yellow color, the NV Champagne Blanc de Blancs Cramant Extra Brut offers notes of lemon curd, fresh apples, honey, citrus blossoms, and golden fruit. It boasts pristine beauty, with a classic Blanc de Blancs appeal yet a beautiful, modern texture. The mousse is refined with creamy bubbles, and the wine has a salty and focused feel. It’s fresh and elegant throughout. Drink 2025-2050. This cuvée comes from two plots in Cramant with opposite profiles. La Garrennes is not the stereotype of Cramant, with more clay and some sand in the soil, creating rich, vigorous conditions that yield a lot of energy. The second plot has chalky soils, low yields, and very small, concentrated berries. One plot brings energy and richness; the other brings vertical structure and concentration.”

Wine Advocate 95+ – “Harvested between September 11 and 14 and matured in wood (30% new), the latest NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cramant, based on the 2022 vintage and complemented by 30% of a historical reserve, is, as ever, sourced from two lieux-dits: La Garenne (planted in 1969 and 1970), characterized by deep soils of sand and clay, and Les Longues Verges (planted in 1985), with chalkier soils but lower yields due to virused vines. Disgorged in June 2025 with a dosage of one gram per liter, the wine reveals aromas of dried flowers, orange peel, fresh hazelnut, pear and peach, mingled with toasted bread, almond paste and smoky nuances. On the palate, it is full-bodied, concentrated and deep, ample and harmonious, uniting generosity with incisiveness, laden with bright acidity and concluding with a long, chalky finish. It is another superb rendition of this consistently reliable cuvée.”