This is a surprisingly bold Champans as the reds from this domaine tend to be gentler than the whites. The biggest first impressions here are spicy oak and grippy tannin. Black cherries, chewy cranberries and fireplace smoke create lots of intrigue for the moment.

Deep purple in the centre with a lighter rim. The bouquet is always a little more severe, savoury even, compared to the fruit forward Clos des Chênes, but the density is certainly apparent. The fruit is a little darker, but extends very well to the back of the palate. Lovely wine once again. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2023.

Note: from a .52 ha holding of 85+ year old vines planted in deep sandy soil with dense but small rocks. This too is sufficiently reduced as to be impossible to fairly assess. By contrast, there is a lovely freshness and detail to the sleek, intense and equally stony flavors that possess a bit more refinement while exhibiting excellent length on the balanced finale. This isn't especially dense and while it does need to develop better depth, more should almost certainly arise with time in bottle. I quite like this as it's understated and harmonious.*Burghound Sweet Spot Outstanding!*