Cuvée des Caudalies "Le Mesnil" Grand Cru Extra Brut 2012

The Cuvée des Caudalies "Le Mesnil" Grand Cru Extra Brut 2012 is a single-varietal Chardonnay Champagne from the chalk soils of the Côte des Blancs, crystalline and spicy in style. Here, the oak barrel contributes no woody aromas, only texture and depth. The long, cool ageing produces a silky mousse and a finish that lives up to the cuvée's name.

The grapes grow in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a Grand Cru commune at the heart of the Côte des Blancs, on chalk. De Sousa farms 9.5 hectares in Avize, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, all Grand Cru; the average vine age exceeds 45 years. Erick De Sousa converted the estate to organic farming in the late 1990s, with organic certification following in 2010 and Demeter recognition in 2013. Today, Charlotte, Valentin and Julie De Sousa run the house in Avize.

100 percent Chardonnay. Erick De Sousa was among the first in Avize to vinify the base wine in oak barrels, for structure and texture rather than aroma. As an Extra Brut, the dosage stays low, keeping the profile dry and focused. 12.5 percent alcohol.

Straw yellow in the glass, with a fine bead. On the nose, ripe lemon, toasted almond, a restrained toasty note and cool chalky spice. The palate entry is taut, the chalky minerality carries the wine far, and the oak ageing shows only as a silky texture.

Pairs beautifully with pan-seared scallops and oysters, as well as refined dishes of turbot and lobster, or veal sweetbreads. Equally enjoyable on its own.

Demeter-certified, with the logo shown on the label. Ageing takes place in the estate's cellars, carved into the chalk, at a constant 10 °C. Bottled at the estate in Avize.