L'ambitieuse 2021+Réserve Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

L'ambitieuse 2021+Réserve is a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs by Pertois-Lebrun from the Côte des Blancs, bone dry and built entirely on chalk. The low dosage lets the minerality take centre stage, while the extended lees ageing adds a creamy layer without ever softening the acid grip.

The estate is based in Cramant and farms around eight hectares across the Grand Cru sites of Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant, planted exclusively with Chardonnay. Chouilly contributes deep chalk, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger minerality, Cramant elegance. The soils are kept alive, chemical intervention is reduced to a minimum, and yields are kept consistently low.

Pure Chardonnay, hand-picked and sorted, with each plot vinified separately. The base wines mature in stainless steel tanks and partly in old wooden barrels, without the wood ever dominating — only gentle oxidative ageing is permitted. Malolactic fermentation is decided on a vintage and plot basis. The name refers to the 2021 vintage and the reserve wines. At least three years on the lees, hand-riddled, bottled as Extra Brut at 12.5% ABV.

Pale straw yellow, fine perlage. On the nose lime, grapefruit, white peach and green apple, followed by hawthorn, chalk and fresh yeast. The attack is linear, the acidity cool and precise, the minerality saline, the finish long and entirely without sweetness.

With oysters, ceviche and sashimi, as well as grilled fish and white poultry. The creamy texture also supports risotto or roast chicken, while the acidity pairs well with Comté.

Grower Champagne from the estate's own plots, with Extra Brut as the house standard. The name L'Ambitieuse, "the ambitious one", is a statement of its uncompromising style. A Champagne that rewards time in the glass.